Amnesty pardons Nyekorach Matsanga
FORMER Lord’s Resistance Army spokesman David Nyekorach-Matsanga was yesterday granted amnesty in Nairobi.
By Reuben Olita
Barbara Among
and Chris Kiwawulo
FORMER Lord’s Resistance Army spokesman David Nyekorach-Matsanga was yesterday granted amnesty in Nairobi.
“I believe dialogue and diplomacy are the only ways Ugandans can attain long lasting peace,†Matsanga told the Amnesty chairman for Uganda, Justice Onega and the Uganda High Commissioner to Kenya, Angelina Wapakhabulo, at the Commission’s Chancery.
Onega told Matsanga that he was free to return to Uganda, adding that the amnesty period that ended last week had been extended by two more years, with over 24,000 Ugandans granted amnesty since 2000.
The 54-year-old, who arrived at the Chancery at 2:00pm, was met by the head of the Chancery, Charles Oundo, the secretary, Sam Masolo and his deputy, Andrew Kalyango.
Matsanga thanked President Yoweri Museveni for fighting against HIV/AIDS, introduction of UPE, restoring discipline in the UPDF and the country’s economic stability.
He said he had talked to the LRA leader three days ago and told him about his amnesty plans. “Kony expressed optimism that he might also join me in seeking amnesty.â€
The High Commissioner, Angelina Wapakhabulo, appealed to other Ugandans in the Diaspora to emulate Matsanga’s example.
Matsanga, like former rebel fighters and sympathisers who have surrendered, is eligible for amnesty as stipulated in the Amnesty Act of 2000. Close to 30,000 LRA rebels have returned home since the law came into place in 2000, over 18,000 of them combatants.
The Act does not differentiate between low level fighters and commanders. However, those captured in combat such as, Thomas Kwoyelo, have been taken as prisoners of war.
WHO IS MATSANGA?
A strong critic of President Museveni before, Matsanga changed his stance last year, when in an interview with Kenyan newspaper The Standard, he said: “I would rather join the NRM. There are certain things Museveni has done well which he deserves to be applauded for.â€
Born and bred in Mbale, Matsanga has been involved in many battles that saw him flee to exile for more than 20 years.
The father of eight went to Shikhuyu Primary School and joined Manjasi High School in 1973.
According to Alfred Musamali, an old boy of Manjasi, Matsanga’s father is the late Makuyi Wamema, a former employee of Budada Secondary School. “Matsanga’s clan name is Wamema.â€
He became Matsanga as a result of the 1970s tradition requiring anybody seeking to repeat P7 to do so under a different name. When he was registering for S4 exams in 1976, he added the name Nyekorach,†Musamali says, adding that he failed his O’level exams.
Matsanga claims he has a masters degree in Political Science and a Phd in Psychology. However, it is not clear if he sat his A’ levels.
When Idi Amin was overthrown in 1979, he embraced the new UNLA Government.
He joined the UPC youth wing and the intelligence service. Around 1983, he was arrested on suspicion of having killed a person during a brawl in a Mbale bar. He was in detention until Obote was overthrown in 1985.
He soon got involved with rebels attempting to overthrow Museveni in the late 1980s. He was the local guide who led ex-army chief-of-staff Opon Acak when the army ambushed them near Bududa Hospital in the late 1980s.
Acak was arrested and Matsanga fled into exile in the UK. While in London, Matsanga disagreed with Obote supporters such as Joseph Ochieno, creating a gap between him and the UPC members in the Diaspora.
In a twist of events, he became the official spokesman of the LRA in early 1998. He later explained that he had wanted to turn the LRA rebels into a liberation front to rescue Uganda. “However, I found that LRA had sinned beyond repair and my efforts were not successful,†he stated at a press conference in February 2000 when he apologised to Ugandans for his role in the rebel ranks.
He bounced back as LRA chief mediator in early 2008, but was dropped when Kony failed to turn up for the signing ceremony in Ri-Kwangba. He later said he resigned to pave way for investigations into press reports that he had been arrested by South Sudan authorities with $20,000.
While in Juba, he reportedly carried a poison detector to meetings, to check food and drinks served to him.
Barbara Among
and Chris Kiwawulo
FORMER Lord’s Resistance Army spokesman David Nyekorach-Matsanga was yesterday granted amnesty in Nairobi.
“I believe dialogue and diplomacy are the only ways Ugandans can attain long lasting peace,†Matsanga told the Amnesty chairman for Uganda, Justice Onega and the Uganda High Commissioner to Kenya, Angelina Wapakhabulo, at the Commission’s Chancery.
Onega told Matsanga that he was free to return to Uganda, adding that the amnesty period that ended last week had been extended by two more years, with over 24,000 Ugandans granted amnesty since 2000.
The 54-year-old, who arrived at the Chancery at 2:00pm, was met by the head of the Chancery, Charles Oundo, the secretary, Sam Masolo and his deputy, Andrew Kalyango.
Matsanga thanked President Yoweri Museveni for fighting against HIV/AIDS, introduction of UPE, restoring discipline in the UPDF and the country’s economic stability.
He said he had talked to the LRA leader three days ago and told him about his amnesty plans. “Kony expressed optimism that he might also join me in seeking amnesty.â€
The High Commissioner, Angelina Wapakhabulo, appealed to other Ugandans in the Diaspora to emulate Matsanga’s example.
Matsanga, like former rebel fighters and sympathisers who have surrendered, is eligible for amnesty as stipulated in the Amnesty Act of 2000. Close to 30,000 LRA rebels have returned home since the law came into place in 2000, over 18,000 of them combatants.
The Act does not differentiate between low level fighters and commanders. However, those captured in combat such as, Thomas Kwoyelo, have been taken as prisoners of war.
WHO IS MATSANGA?
A strong critic of President Museveni before, Matsanga changed his stance last year, when in an interview with Kenyan newspaper The Standard, he said: “I would rather join the NRM. There are certain things Museveni has done well which he deserves to be applauded for.â€
Born and bred in Mbale, Matsanga has been involved in many battles that saw him flee to exile for more than 20 years.
The father of eight went to Shikhuyu Primary School and joined Manjasi High School in 1973.
According to Alfred Musamali, an old boy of Manjasi, Matsanga’s father is the late Makuyi Wamema, a former employee of Budada Secondary School. “Matsanga’s clan name is Wamema.â€
He became Matsanga as a result of the 1970s tradition requiring anybody seeking to repeat P7 to do so under a different name. When he was registering for S4 exams in 1976, he added the name Nyekorach,†Musamali says, adding that he failed his O’level exams.
Matsanga claims he has a masters degree in Political Science and a Phd in Psychology. However, it is not clear if he sat his A’ levels.
When Idi Amin was overthrown in 1979, he embraced the new UNLA Government.
He joined the UPC youth wing and the intelligence service. Around 1983, he was arrested on suspicion of having killed a person during a brawl in a Mbale bar. He was in detention until Obote was overthrown in 1985.
He soon got involved with rebels attempting to overthrow Museveni in the late 1980s. He was the local guide who led ex-army chief-of-staff Opon Acak when the army ambushed them near Bududa Hospital in the late 1980s.
Acak was arrested and Matsanga fled into exile in the UK. While in London, Matsanga disagreed with Obote supporters such as Joseph Ochieno, creating a gap between him and the UPC members in the Diaspora.
In a twist of events, he became the official spokesman of the LRA in early 1998. He later explained that he had wanted to turn the LRA rebels into a liberation front to rescue Uganda. “However, I found that LRA had sinned beyond repair and my efforts were not successful,†he stated at a press conference in February 2000 when he apologised to Ugandans for his role in the rebel ranks.
He bounced back as LRA chief mediator in early 2008, but was dropped when Kony failed to turn up for the signing ceremony in Ri-Kwangba. He later said he resigned to pave way for investigations into press reports that he had been arrested by South Sudan authorities with $20,000.
While in Juba, he reportedly carried a poison detector to meetings, to check food and drinks served to him.