Masaka mayor was slain for ''betraying'' Kabaka

Francis Walugembe, was the Mayor of Masaka in 1972. He was murdered in cold blood by Idi Amin’s Special Research Bureau. We talked to some of his family members about that fateful day.

Charles Etukuri and Eddie Ssejjoba

On September 21, 1972 francis Walugembe left his home in the company of his two children to visit his brother-in-law, Leonard Ssekalegga, in Kitovu.

Unknown to him, two cars that belonged to the dreaded Special Research Bureau were trailing him. At Nyendo, he dropped off one of his sons, Thomas Ntale, who was heading to Bukakata.

As he approached Kitovu, the trailing cars caught up with him and sensing he was in danger, he drove into his in-law’s compound and parked.

One of the vehicles was being driven by Francis Lwegaba, who was a close friend of the family. He was accompanied by three men in army uniform.

Mayor kidnapped

According to Ssekalegga, the two Peugeot cars, popular with President Idi Amin’s State Research Bureau drove into the compound and parked besides Walugembe’s car. Realising that he had been surrounded, Walugembe locked himself in his car, but Lwegaba ordered him to open the doors.

According to an eyewitness, when he came out, Lwegaba pulled a gun from one of the soldiers and sprayed bullets at Walugembe’s feet. They then started beating him up.

He was put in the boot of one of the cars and driven around town and thereafter taken to Kassajjagirwa Military Barracks, in the company of his son.

Accused of betrayal

On arrival at the barracks, the soldiers refused to let them in. Later, Walugembe was dragged out of the car and paraded outside the barracks as the soldiers accused him of being a guerilla fighter.

“He pleaded for mercy and asked the soldiers to contact Abdallah Nasur, the Governor, who was his close friend, but he was told Nasur was not around. He even begged them to let him talk to President Idi Amin, but they refused,” added the son.

However, the former press secretary to Sir Edward Mutesa II, John Jones Ssalongo, who is based in Masaka and was an active journalist at the time, told Saturday Vision that among the allegations labelled against Walugembe, was that he betrayed the Kabaka.

They claimed Walugembe had told former President Milton Obote, that the Kabaka was using an electric machine gun and that he would not be defeated unless they cut power to the Lubiri Palace.

Ssalongo says Walugembe was paraded in town and killing him could have been intended to appease a section of Baganda, who were still loyal to the exiled Kabaka.

But while Walugembe was still begging for mercy, Nasur arrived in a convoy. According to Walugembe’s son, his father, who was writhing in pain after being severely beaten by soldiers, called out Nasur’s name.

Walugembe murdered

Nasur moved towards him and Walugembe then begged for mercy, saying he had been arrested for an offence he was not aware of.

Ntale recalls seeing Nasur, whom he knew very well, dressed in an army uniform, armed with a pistol and bayonet.

Instead of saving his friend, Nasur who looked angry, ordered him to say his last prayers. A staunch Catholic, Walugembe pulled out his rosary and said a prayer.

In full view of the crowd that had gathered, Nasur pulled out a bayonet and first stabbed Walugembe in the abdomen, slit his throat and then stabbed him twice. He then removed the bayonet to lick off the blood in what many believe was a ritual to keep Walugembe’s spirit from haunting him.

Later, Nasur ordered Lwegaba to drive Walugembe’s car and drop his son at his home, and also announce his death. When the soldiers arrived at the deceased’s home they descended on his property and shared it out among themselves.

Nasur arrested

With the fall of Amin’s regime, Nasur fled the country, but was later arrested in Kakamega, Kenya and brought back for trial before Justice George Masika.

During the trial, the State presented several witnesses. Among them was John Kagimbi, who was a carpenter at the Masaka Military Barracks.

He told court that on September 21, between 3:00pm and 4:00pm, he and other people went to the quarter guard where Walugembe had been detained.

He said Nasur, whom he knew very well, ordered soldiers to hold Walugembe firmly to the ground and he slit his throat as he begged for mercy.

Kagimbi testified that Walugembe was smartly dressed in a black suit, white shirt and black shoes.

Betty Najjuma, a primary school teacher in the barracks, testified that she knew Nasur very well as a soldier at the barracks and also knew Walugembe, the Mayor.

Najjuma said on the fateful day, she was at the school when she noticed commotion at the quarter guard. She also said she saw Nasur instruct soldiers to hold Walugembe firmly as he cut him with a knife.

Another witness was Imelda Nansamba, Walugembe’s widow, whose evidence corroborated with that of her son, Ntale. She also described what her husband was wearing on the fateful day.

Ignansio Ssenyonga, who was in charge of the Municipal Council Cemetery in Masaka, testified that on September 22, 1972 at about 10:00am, he went to the mortuary in search of bodies to bury.

He told court that he found and recognised Walugembe’s body, which had wounds on the neck, and the upper abdomen and that his genitals had been cut and stuffed into his mouth. Ssenyonga also said the fourth wound was at the back of the head.

Accused gives defence

Nasur, however, said he never wore uniform in Masaka. Nasur went ahead to attack some of the prosecution witnesses, claiming they were not reliable.

Referring to Kagimbi, Nasur said at the time of the incident, he had been dismissed from his job as a carpenter over theft.

Nasur further noted that Kagimbi could not have recognised him because he had a problem with his eyes. He noted that Kagimbi testified against him because he had a grudge against him.

In October 1981, Nasur was found guilty and convicted of murder.

“In agreement with unanimous opinions of the assessors, I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the prosecution has proved their case against the accused and accordingly, I convict him as charged,” read the ruling.

Nasur unsuccessfully appealed against his death sentence and his appeal was thrown out by the Supreme Court.

Traumatised family

Recently, when Saturday Vision visited Walugembe’s home in Kabale-Kisoso in Kimanya Kyabakuza Division, Masaka, the once prominent home was in shamble. Some of the family members are still too traumatised to talk about the incident.

Walugembe’s sister, Nalongo Sekalegga, whom he had visited on the day he was kidnapped, still lives in Kitovu. However, she shied away from discussing the events of that fateful day.

“It was really painful and it saddens me when I see that his killer is walking free,” she said.

Walugembe’s body was handed over to the family by the military.

Pardoned

However, Nasur got a Presidential pardon and was released on September 10, 2001 after spending 22 years in Luzira Prison.

Asked on September 11, 2001, if he actually gave the directive, Nasur said: “I never committed that offence. I never sent soldiers to kill him, I never saw that body. It was because of political hatred that they brought charges against me.”

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