By Maj. Bilal Katamba

The mood to celebrate Tarehe Sita (Army day) which is celebrated on February 6, by the UPDF and the country at large is high.

Led by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, with just 27 guns, the gallant Ugandans were able to liberate this country from dictatorship after a protracted struggle that lasted five years. 

The theme for this year's celebrations is "Retracing the peoples' struggle for peace and security for a modern Uganda" It is on account of this theme that I chose to retrace the 14 gallant patriots who joined from UNLA to NRA in late November 1983 and had an immense impact to the liberation of the country. We still have a big task to document NRA’s history which is sweet, rich, irresistible and irreplaceable.

Owing to the atrocities committed by Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA), including indiscriminate killings, robberies, rapes and extortions, the patriot soldiers decided enough was enough. They could not continue to be part of this madness, so they decided to join the pro-people, progressive NRA that was fighting the anti-people government at that time under Apollo Milton Obote.

The 14 were under the 13th battalion of UNLA based at Bombo. Their defection in late November 1983 aided the liberation struggle directly and indirectly.

First off, they had different military expertise, including knowledge in intelligence gathering and analysis, skills in support weapons, which were key, especially as the NRA captured more from UNLA which included, among others, mortars, AAC guns like 14.5 and 12.7 mm. This was on top of the personal weapons each came with which added to 17 SMGs. By NRA standards, 17 guns could be used to bring an enemy platoon to its knees.

The defection further exposed UNLA as a sectarian army that had failed to evolve into a national army. It was clear that it was only militants from the northern part of the country that were considered as true soldiers. The rest were discriminated against and considered out of place in the UNLA. 

The defection gave more confidence to NRA fighters as they saw their former adversaries joining them. The reverse is true to the side of UNLA as they got demoralised as losers.

The UNLA had been built on a very weak ideology that emphasized sectarianism especially based on tribe. We thank the C in-C Gen YK Museveni for correcting that wrong ideology since he took charge of the leadership of the country. It is perhaps prudent to bring the reader up to speed by relaying a few incidents that happened in Bombo barracks, where the headquarters of the 13th battalion of UNLA was based.

One time, the recce Coy of the 13th battalion was attacked at Kakerenge on Bombo road. The Sgt. Maj. of the Coy was Erukana Odur. The causalities were brought to Bombo. Private Mwesigwa Samuel's friend, one private Charles Mwesigye asked that they should go and visit their friend who had been injured in an ambush at Kakerenge. Mwesigwa was hesitant, however, he obliged. When they reached where the causalities were, Private Paka Paka, cocked his gun and told the duo, “You give out information when we go out, now what have you come to do?” Paka Paka was an Acholi and at that moment he believed that the non-northerners in the UNLA were betraying them. Mwesigwa and Mwesigye moved away. Fortunately, Paka Paka did not shoot, he stopped at cocking.

Another incident happened when they called for a fall-in. The Sgt. Maj. of B Coy 13th battalion, a WO II, Irana, an Acholi, told soldiers, “Sindiyo adui munawajuwa wako na sisi hapa”. "Don't you know our enemies are with us here?" “Ndiyo tunawajuwa”, "yes we know them" The soldiers replied. “Sasa tunayenda kumaliza adui wa musituni, Alafu tulundi kwa yandani”." Now, we are going to finish off the enemy in the bush, and them come back to deal with the enemy with us here" “Ndio Afande” The soldiers excitedly replied. “sindio kama anasafisha sefuliya, onahanza inje alafu anamalizia indani?” “Isn’t it that when you are cleaning a saucepan, you start from outside and you end with its inside?” “Ndio Afande” – “yes sir”, the soldiers shouted back.  The non-Acholi/ Langi soldiers felt very uncomfortable and feared for their lives.  

Another time, the RSM of the 13th battalion who had been nicknamed “John Walker” for his smartness said, “Nasikia munasema wanyankore wako kwa Jeshi, lakini nawona ata na kwa gali ya jeshi wamenandika “LA” meaning 'Langi, Acholi'. Army vehicle registration numbers had 'LA' to mean liberation army, an equivalent of the current 'DF' defence forces for the UPDF. John Walker's statement cemented the view that non-Acholi/ Langi soldiers were unwelcome in UNLA.

There was indiscriminate killing, especially by lower rank soldiers. Intelligence staff would bring people to detention “mabusu” and detain them as long as they wished. WO II Erukana Odur would pick people from “mabusu” load them on a truck to Kakerenge. It’s here that he would cut off their heads! One time, when Erukana had moved with a reconnaissance party of 14 people in the land rover 109, a land mine blew up their vehicle and all the 14 occupants died.  Soldiers who were opposed to the inhumane acts of the UNLA silently celebrated the death of Erukana Odur who had killed so many people. The landmine went off at the road that leads to the late Mzee Kazibwe’s place, on Kakerenge – Senga – Kitungwa road.

There were several roadblocks on the road, one of such being at Nyimbwa. If a vehicle came with any merchandise, you would forcefully donate some of the merchandise to the soldiers at the roadblock. If one soldier admired any woman in the vehicle, the woman would remain at the roadblock.  One soldier would search the bus regardless of how much time it took him and later search the luggage. The bus drivers would collect money from passengers to give to the soldiers to let them go after the long search.

The patriotic soldiers within UNLA felt ashamed to associate with the institution they served but they did not know how to dissociate from UNLA and any suspicion that one opposed their acts could earn them a death sentence.

The opportunity to link with NRA availed itself when one time, Lt. Godfrey Bamwesigye the battalion intelligence officer of the UNLA's 13th battalion went missing. The information came out that he could have deserted to NRA. The information was not discussed in the lower ranks of UNLA.

Apparently, Lt Bamwesigye is said to have met the Chairman High Command (CHC) at Kanyaara and discussed the possibility of the pro-people soldiers of UNLA deserting to NRA. The CHC directed Matayo Kyaligonza to work with Bamwesigye for the same.

Kyaligonza assigned provisional junior officer 11(PJO11) Sam Byaruhanga and Cpl Lukabwe James, (who was chosen for his knowledge of Bombo general area) both black bombers for the mission. The 3 were given UNLA uniforms and started planning the mission.

One evening, Bamwesigye went at mile 20 Bombo road. There was a woman called Maama Kyolaba, who owned a restaurant cum bar. Bamwesigye sent Maama Kyolaba to a nurse called Stella who was a girlfriend to one of the officers called Lt Sam Kakuru and worked in Bombo military hospital. Maama Kyolaba sent her 9-year-old daughter Kyolaba instead to deliver the letter. In the letter, Bamwesigye asked Stella to talk to those soldiers who would wish to join NRA.

Stella spoke to one Sgt. Enock Muworozi first; Muworozi refused. He had been once accused of collaborating with rebels and giving them supplies. The UNLA intelligence had brought a suspected rebel detainee to identify their collaborators within UNLA. A woman had identified Enock Muworozi on the identification parade. The fall in was dismissed and Enock was given different clothing. This time, the woman failed to identify Sgt. Enock and he survived. “If she had picked on you again, we were going to kill you from here”, one Acholi' soldier had told Enock. Given that background, Enock feared anything to do with rebels. Fortunately, he did not report Stella to UNLA intelligence.

Stella contacted Cpl Samuel Mwesigwa who was a clerk in the admin company of the 13^th Battalion and had just completed a battalion support weapon course in Gulu. Together with Kamomo, he had emerged as the best student and was willing to pursue the defection. He talked to his friend, Private Charles Mwesigye, who hailed from Kyabugimbi- Bushenyi who had joined UNLA in what is famously known as UD intake 02 of 1980. He was also a military instructor in Bombo by that time. 

Mwesigye and Mwesigwa mobilized around 25 soldiers. One night, they made arrangements and were able to meet Lt.  Bamwesigye at Maama Kyolaba’s place. They told Bamwesigye, how the UNLA could not trust them and they feared for their lives. He also told assured them that NRA was a serious outfit and UNLA could not defeat them.

The CHC of the NRA, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni had, through Lt Bamwesigye, sent them a message telling them that he mostly wanted them to furnish him with intelligence regarding the enemy.

He emphasised that, though their coming was important, their contribution would be more significant if they stayed and provided intelligence about the enemy. However, given the events narrated earlier, staying further in the barracks was highly risky.

For 3 or so months, they made plans on how to move to the bush. Charles Mwesigye, who was eldest and had superior formal education, assumed the command of the group, though he was a private by rank. The group planned to move in late November 1983.

After converging at Sgt. Moses Tibasimwa’s who was the motor transport Sgt (MT Sgt.) at midnight, the group moved through a footpath up to Bombo mosque, which was the group's final Rendezvous Point (RV) where they found Sam Byaruhanga and James Lukabwe waiting for them. At this RV, they were expecting 25 soldiers, but only 17 turned up.  However, Privates Dick, Denies and Nyanzi requested to go back to the barracks to inform their wives to leave the barracks. They left their backpacks and guns and went back.

However, when they delayed returning, the group decided to leave without them lest UNLA intelligence found them there. They defected with 17 guns. The defectors were 14 and they included: -  Cpl Samuel Mwesigwa, Charles Mwesigye, Isaac Katongole, Nsereko, John Ntale, Sgt Moses Tebwasime, Jackson Kechikomo, Dennis Atuhurura, Ssemanda, Kivumbi (who was a civilian working in the barracks), Isaac Maliyamungu and three others.

The group moved very fast and by 5:00 am, they had reached a resting place in a home of an elderly man. They moved to a camp under Kyaligonza's Black Bomber which was located in a very thick forest. The camp, which was almost deserted, was under Ronald Kawuma as the in charge. There were sick people and no fighting groups. The group later learnt that the NRA fighting group had gone to Kabamba. 

On first impression, they had been disappointed with the kind of people they had found in the camp.  When they reached, they had “constructed houses” for them from palm tree branches bent into two to form a V shape. The branch would be put upside down to form a hut. When they came, they covered their ponchos on top of the “houses”.

The 14 were not deployed so they would only sleep and learn “siasa”. That camp was not their destination as they were en route to NRA's High Command headquarters in Kanyaara Lukoola.

While at the camp, where they stayed for close to a month, they looked after them very well. They prepared tea for them where they would chop sugarcane pieces, mix them with water and boil. This was tea reserved for special guests which they would serve with boiled cassava pieces as aside. After about one month, the fighting party came back to the camp, looking tired and whoever entered the camp in the forest would only sleep off immediately. On seeing the returning fighters, the group regained some confidence.

While still in the camp, there was a group that found them there that had around 20 people. They got information that the group had come from Libya and it included Kweringira, Fred Bogere, Livingstone Katerega, Kale Kaihura, Mukuye, Muchwa and others. 

Kabuura took the group of 14, from the Black Bomber camp and started the journey to meet the CHC. They had their first stopover in James Male’s camp at Mugogo where he had prepared them good cassava and sugarcane. Here, they spent one night. They passed through several camps and it took them close to a month to reach Lukoola sometimes resting for three days. They were however delayed by the Libyan group, which was slow in movement. 

Their last stopover was in a camp under the command of Ismail Ssebbi. Here, they were told to forget about the cassava they were eating and prepare their minds for meat without salt. Finally, they reached the high command of NRA where they were received by Fred Rwigyema. Some elders at the HC were heard saying 'eee mubabadde batukuba mulimu n'abaana abaganda' 'amongst those fighting us were fellow Baganda too!' 

There was an idea from a section of the high command to disarm them which was overruled by the Chairman High Command (CHC). After three days of their arrival, the CHC met them and briefed them about the war. He later handed them over to Capt. Kiiza Itahikire for training in guerrilla tactics. After the one-month training, which they did with the 'Libya group' the CHC personally distributed them in each NRA battalion of the time.

The group of 14 had a lot of significance, in that, it reminded the UNLA of their hollowness especially in as far as the ideology was concerned.

Brief about some of the 14 fighters;

1. RO/00083 Brig Gen Godfrey Bamwesigye was made a senior officer of NRA on joining the bush. He was 2I/C of Patrick Lumumba in 3rd battalion. He stood and lost to Ruzindana in Ruhama constituency during the constituency assembly in March 1994.
2. RO/00639 Capt. Charles Mwesigye was a born of Kyabugimbi-Bushenyi district. He joined the army in1980 in what is famously known as UD intake 02. He was an instructor at Bombo before joining NRA and was deployed at the High Command and become an ADC to Salim Saleh. After the war, he became the administrative officer of artillery and air defence of the NRA. He died of natural causes in 2002.
3. RO/00653 Col Samuel Mwesigwa is a son of the late Rev Israeli Bwangenyima of Kyamate Mbarara. He joined the army in 1979 at Kamukuzi Mbarara. He is the current Asset Commander of AAC weapons of the Ugandan contingent in Somalia and is a specialist in air defence systems. He was shot twice in the bush once while at Mulule the day Emanuel Kagina was killed and while at Matanga Masaka as a platoon commander in the 1st battalion. He had earlier been shot by Karamajongs in 1981. On all 3 occasions, Mwesigwa survived.
4. RO/00654 Maj Jackson Kechikomo was a son of Eriya John Kechikomo of Kamoshe, Rukarango, Kibasi sub-county, Kazaara county, Ntungamo district. He joined the army in 1979 at Kyamate (Fronasa) He once served as division administrative officer of 1st division and had once served as commanding officer of 33^rd He died in 2000 at Jinja hospital of natural causes.
5. RO/00640 Lt Col Isaac Katongole is currently under OWC in charge of Bunyaruguru. After joining NRA he was deployed in Lumumba's 3^rd battalion where he remained until the capture of Kampala in 1986.
6. Cpl Nsereko was a born of Masaka. After joining NRA, he was first deployed in the 1st battalion under Taban Kyabihendire's coy. He died in an ambush that NRA had staged at Kyajinja. On trying to move out of the ambush to attack a UNLA 14.5 AAC gunner who was firing incessantly at his colleagues, the gunner dismembered him removing his head.
7. Ntale and Kivumbi died during NRA's attack of Mbarara barracks in 1985

The writer is the UPDF PIO for the Ugandan contingent in Somalia