Remembering Easter in the ‘bush’

BUSH WAR | EASTER | HOLIDAY 

When they got married, Sam Kalenga Njuba and Gertrude Njuba cherished festive seasons like Easter holidays. 

A young couple, full of hope for the future, they were assured of partying during Easter, in and out of their posh residential house.

“We were an ever happy family, used to lots of fun with our young children,” narrates captain Gertrude, currently, the head of the State House Land department.

At that time, the late Njuba was running a city law firm and also lecturing at Law school, Makerere University.  His wife, Gertrude was working at Customs Department (current URA).

Their happiness as a family however didn’t last for long. Towards, the 1980 general elections, Njuba was arrested as he was driving towards the City Square.

“He was detained at Makindye Barracks. Yoweri Museveni, who was then the vice chairman of the Military Commission intervened and he was released,” Gertrude explains.

Easter in the bush 

After UPC was declared winning the contested general elections and its leader Milton Obote swore in as President, Gertrude says life became difficult and risky. 

“We decided to abandon our home in 1981 and went to Luweero to fight for freedom. We joined Museveni and other oppressed Ugandans, who had grouped themselves under a rebel group, to launch a war against UPC Government,” he said. 

“When we left home, we forgot about Easter holidays. We accepted the new situation that had come and we got used to hard life. Some of my comrades didn’t get what to eat on some Easter days. I don’t want to remember what we through during the five years of liberation struggle,” she says.

Though the Njubas tried to adjust to the new situation in the jungles of Luweero triangle, it didn’t stop them from thinking about the good times they had at their home during Easter holidays.

Kazoora and Biraaro

Just like Gertrude, her fellow former bush war heroes like Ma. John Kazoora and Maj. Gen Benon Biraaro narrate. to Saturday Vision what Easter Holidays meant to them in the bush.

“We never had any Easter as you can imagine it because, during such public holidays, we had to be on alert expecting the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) soldiers to attack thinking we had relaxed,” Biraaro, a former Presidential candidate, said.

Biraaro and Kazoora joined the liberation war in 1982, after completing their university courses at Makerere University.

“But whenever we had free time like Easter days, as young men, we would talk about politics, the war, food and women. 

These pre-occupied our minds. As starving people, we also missed the delicious food, like chicken, rice, beef and matooke we were eating during Easter holidays at our homes before we joined the rebellion,” Biraaro narrates.

Kazoora also said that for the five years they spent fighting Obote’s Government, they never had any special days.

“We were ever on standby, especially on special days. In fact, our preferred days of the attack were public holidays when we expected the enemy to be relaxed. Bush life was completely different.

In fact, Easter, which is not as specific as Christmas, would pass us without notice,” he notes.

Kazoora says one Easter, the NRA fighters had been ambushed for a week.

“You could not make any movement. When ambushed by the enemy, nobody could walk around,” he adds.

Nadduli’s Easter was different

But Minister Without Portfolio Abdul Nadduli, says Easter was treated as a special day.

“We never fought on such days. Our boys rested on Easter. Others went for prayers since each camp had their own religious leaders,” Nadduli told Saturday Vision.

Asked about what others said about readiness on special days, Nadduli clarified that the NRA fighters always tightly guarded their camps from being ambushed by UNLA soldiers.

No special meal 

The fighters had no special meals. Their daily meals included cassava, beans and dry maize.

“And to get it was even luck. There was a time when we had beef. But it didn’t last for long and then we went back to eat our cassava,” Biraaro says.

Nadduli adds that it was also luck for the fighters to get matooke. They main ate cassava and beans.

Separate kitchen for Museveni  

The NRA fighting group had a structure of the High Command, chaired by Museveni. Its members, included Eriya Kategaya, Sam Magara, Elly Tumwine, Fred Rwigyema and Salim Saleh. Others were, David Tinyefuza (until he was demoted in 1984), Matayo Kyaligonza and Tadeo Kanyankole. 

And to be a member, Kazoora explains, the chairman considered benchmarks like old service in the struggle, education background and political alliances.

As they were fighting, Gertrude says, rumors started to circulate that Obote and his men were planning to poison Museveni as it was allegedly did it to the late Sir Edward Muteesa II, the first President of Uganda.

The High Command assigned Gertrude, who was a personal assistant to the chairman, was given a new task of being in charge of Museveni’s food and water.

Museveni’s food was prepared in a separate kitchen. Even on Easter holidays, Biraaro says Museveni used to have his regular supply of millet for his bushera.

Strict rules on drinking, women 

Kazoora says whether Easter periods or any other holidays, drinking alcohol in the bush war zone was prohibited.

“We had a strict code of conduct. We were not allowed to befriend girls or women for fun,” he adds.