President Yoweri Museveni says upwards of 800,000 people could have been killed by governments between 1966 and 1977 owing to bad rule. Of these, 300,000 were from Luwero Triangle alone, the president said. 

According to the president, his government will do everything to ensure that Uganda never goes back to past days of bad governance where governments mistreated those they govern.

The president said one of the ways to avoid this has been to build a professional army that is able to respond to the people's needs and create stability for the country.

He said unlike past governments who built an army of illiterates, his insistence on having an army of educated people has helped to quickly build it into a people’s army.

The president was speaking during the 43rd Tare Sita celebrations in Bugweri district in Busoga region. 

“I want to thank the people of Busoga for being together with the people of Uganda to support the struggle,” he said, adding that without that support the struggle would have taken longer to achieve results.

He said with the local support the liberators were able to operate unnoticed, adding that, for example, he was one day able to successfully bring into the country 12 submachine guns from Bukoba in Tanzania through Mombasa.

“We put the guns on the train and brought them out at Iganga railway station and put them in three separate boxes,” he said, adding that they hid them in a lodge.

The UPDF marching at the 43rd Tare Sita celebrations in Bugweri district. /Photo by Donald Kiirya

Tarehe Sita is a Swahili word meaning the sixth day, which in this context is the day of February  6, 1981, when the war to fight the government born out of the disputed 1980 elections was launched with an attack on Kabamba Military Barracks. 

This year's event was held under the theme: "Celebrating the Peoples’ Struggle for Unity, Security, and Peace for Socio-Economic Transformation." 

Vice President Jessica Alupo (R) and the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga (L) seated at Bugweri district headquarters grounds ahead of the Tarehe Sita celebrations. Standing is Gen. Jim Muhwezi, the security minister. (Credit: Donald Kiirya)

At the event, the president was accompanied by over 17 members of the cabinet, Vice President Jessica Alupo, the Minister of East African Affairs Rebecca Kadaga, Finance Minister Matia, Defence Minister Bamulangaki Ssempijja and Security Minister Maj. Gen Jim Muhwezi among others.