Nyakairu, crew died in service of their nation
Aug 02, 2005
Colonel Peter Nyakairu had flown virtually every helicopter type Uganda has ever bought — from the Bells to the recent Russian Mis-8, 17 and 24. By all standards, in the world he was a veteran. Over 30 years of flying these different types of choppers was no mean achievement.
By Joshua Kato
Colonel Peter Nyakairu had flown virtually every helicopter type Uganda has ever bought — from the Bells to the recent Russian Mis-8, 17 and 24. By all standards, in the world he was a veteran. Over 30 years of flying these different types of choppers was no mean achievement.
Young pilots at the airport looked at him as an icon. And, indeed, he was. But like the Baganda say, “Enyanja etta agimanyidde,†(the lake kills those who are used to it) Peter Nyakairu died at the job he had been doing for all these years.
Nyakairu joined the army in 1969. He did cadet training at Jinja, before specialising to become a fighter pilot. Subsequently, he was sent to USSR for training on Soviet planes. These were and are still the most commonly used in Uganda and most African countries. He was later to train in China and the former USSR state of Belarus. This made him one of the best trained pilots in Uganda.
While still in Russia, Obote’s government was overthrown. It is reported that Nyakairu decided to remain there until 1979 when Amin was overthrown.
When Amin was overthrown however, he decided to come back and serve the new government. “ He was deployed as the chief VIP pilot in the country. He was supposed to fly Milton Obote, Paulo Muwanga and top military officers.
He did this job diligently. At the time, Uganda had a collection of August Bell 212 and 412 and Jet Rangers choppers that he used to fly.
When Museveni came to power in 1986, Nyakairu fled the country with Obote. He remained in exile for sometime, before he was persuaded to come back.
“He did not have anything to fear, since he did not have any bad record,†says a colleague.
Because the country did not have pilots of his calibre, he was persuaded to come back in 1987.
In 1989, he was re-integrated into the army as a senior pilot. Because of his expertise on Russian choppers, he was deployed in the north to fly the deadly MI-17, commonly known as the Surambaya, that was being used against the LRA.
He was also appointed commandant of the air base at Entebbe, replacing Lt Col. Turyagenda. During his time as commandant, he helped re-organise so many things. Disappearance of aircraft parts had became the order of the day.
He is remembered for a commission of inquiry that he set up to probe the disappearance of two aircraft engines. “One of the engines was of a Bravo and the other of a Swiss Piper,†says a high ranking officer in the air-force.
At the end of the day, eight soldiers and civilian workers at the army airbase were suspended.
In 2002, he was replaced by Lt. Col. David Muhoozi as air-base commandant. “He was then sent for further training in China in 2003, where he majored in flying the Mi-24 model on one hand and VIP craft handling on the other,†the air-force officer says.
This officer says that in terms of experience on military and civil/military air-craft, the late Nyakairu was only second to Brig. Ali Kizza. “It takes so many years to train an officer up to the level of Afande, but of course, in the army, death is part of us,†the officer says.
At the time the first advanced Mi-24p helicopter gunships were acquired, Nyakairu was sighted as one of very few Ugandans who could fly them. The rest were an Ethiopian Col. Getahun Kassa and Lt. Col. Turyagyenda.
MP Aggrey Awori, agrees, “He has been one of the best pilots around. I have known him for a very long time,†he says.
Peter Nyakairu was born in Fort Portal in the 50s. According to friends at work and relatives, he was very polite in whatever he did, but quiet. He is survived with several children and widows.
Lt Johnson Bahebya Munanura
He was young and professional. He was supposed to take care of Garang’s security to and from the Sudan. Of course, he had travelled on this plane with the President before. “He was one of the most hardworking officers in the Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB), that is why Mzee deployed him to take care of Dr Garang’s security,†a friend in the PGB says.
In his early 30s, Munanura had an entire career in the army ahead. Munanura has been in the UPDF for over 10 years.
Maj. Patrick Kiggundu
He was the flight engineer. Kiggundu, just like Nyakairu was one of the finest and most trained flight engineers Uganda has had, having trained in Russia and China. “He was one of the finest flight engineers we had. That is why he was assigned to fly on the Mi-172,†an airforce officer says. Kiggundu did not only specialise in helicopters, but also MIGs and other aircraft.
Capt Paul Kiyimba
Another fine pilot, trained in Russia, China and Libya. Kiyimba has been a pilot for more than 20 years. “He was in his 40s and had operated with Nyakairu on different aircraft for a long time,†an officer at the air base says.
Sam Bakowa
In his 40s, he was a State House protocol officer, whose job on the ill-fated aircraft was to see that the Sudanese vice-president travelled well.
According to Onapito Ekomoloit, the president’s press secretary, Bakowa was a very jovial guy. “He was very nice, very popular and wonderful,†he says.
Before he joined State House, Bakowa was an attaché at the Ugandan Embassy in Libya. “It is because of his experience in diplomatic circles that he was selected to escort Dr Garang,†Onapito says. He is survived by a widow and several children.
Nyakairu, Kiggundu and Kiyimba were so much used to the chopper, that they suspected nothing wrong. The Mi-172 model was the latest on the market at the time it was acquired in 1998.
According to its specifications, it can fly in all weather conditions, can comfortably land with the engines turned off and can fly for long distances using only one engine. It has a capacity of detecting bad weather 100kms away, indicate how high or low it is from the ground and do all kinds of special safety measures.
Whatever went wrong and snuffed out their lives needs to be investigated. Trouble is, they might have gone with most of the information to their final resting place. May their souls rest in peace.
Colonel Peter Nyakairu had flown virtually every helicopter type Uganda has ever bought — from the Bells to the recent Russian Mis-8, 17 and 24. By all standards, in the world he was a veteran. Over 30 years of flying these different types of choppers was no mean achievement.
Young pilots at the airport looked at him as an icon. And, indeed, he was. But like the Baganda say, “Enyanja etta agimanyidde,†(the lake kills those who are used to it) Peter Nyakairu died at the job he had been doing for all these years.
Nyakairu joined the army in 1969. He did cadet training at Jinja, before specialising to become a fighter pilot. Subsequently, he was sent to USSR for training on Soviet planes. These were and are still the most commonly used in Uganda and most African countries. He was later to train in China and the former USSR state of Belarus. This made him one of the best trained pilots in Uganda.
While still in Russia, Obote’s government was overthrown. It is reported that Nyakairu decided to remain there until 1979 when Amin was overthrown.
When Amin was overthrown however, he decided to come back and serve the new government. “ He was deployed as the chief VIP pilot in the country. He was supposed to fly Milton Obote, Paulo Muwanga and top military officers.
He did this job diligently. At the time, Uganda had a collection of August Bell 212 and 412 and Jet Rangers choppers that he used to fly.
When Museveni came to power in 1986, Nyakairu fled the country with Obote. He remained in exile for sometime, before he was persuaded to come back.
“He did not have anything to fear, since he did not have any bad record,†says a colleague.
Because the country did not have pilots of his calibre, he was persuaded to come back in 1987.
In 1989, he was re-integrated into the army as a senior pilot. Because of his expertise on Russian choppers, he was deployed in the north to fly the deadly MI-17, commonly known as the Surambaya, that was being used against the LRA.
He was also appointed commandant of the air base at Entebbe, replacing Lt Col. Turyagenda. During his time as commandant, he helped re-organise so many things. Disappearance of aircraft parts had became the order of the day.
He is remembered for a commission of inquiry that he set up to probe the disappearance of two aircraft engines. “One of the engines was of a Bravo and the other of a Swiss Piper,†says a high ranking officer in the air-force.
At the end of the day, eight soldiers and civilian workers at the army airbase were suspended.
In 2002, he was replaced by Lt. Col. David Muhoozi as air-base commandant. “He was then sent for further training in China in 2003, where he majored in flying the Mi-24 model on one hand and VIP craft handling on the other,†the air-force officer says.
This officer says that in terms of experience on military and civil/military air-craft, the late Nyakairu was only second to Brig. Ali Kizza. “It takes so many years to train an officer up to the level of Afande, but of course, in the army, death is part of us,†the officer says.
At the time the first advanced Mi-24p helicopter gunships were acquired, Nyakairu was sighted as one of very few Ugandans who could fly them. The rest were an Ethiopian Col. Getahun Kassa and Lt. Col. Turyagyenda.
MP Aggrey Awori, agrees, “He has been one of the best pilots around. I have known him for a very long time,†he says.
Peter Nyakairu was born in Fort Portal in the 50s. According to friends at work and relatives, he was very polite in whatever he did, but quiet. He is survived with several children and widows.
Lt Johnson Bahebya Munanura
He was young and professional. He was supposed to take care of Garang’s security to and from the Sudan. Of course, he had travelled on this plane with the President before. “He was one of the most hardworking officers in the Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB), that is why Mzee deployed him to take care of Dr Garang’s security,†a friend in the PGB says.
In his early 30s, Munanura had an entire career in the army ahead. Munanura has been in the UPDF for over 10 years.
Maj. Patrick Kiggundu
He was the flight engineer. Kiggundu, just like Nyakairu was one of the finest and most trained flight engineers Uganda has had, having trained in Russia and China. “He was one of the finest flight engineers we had. That is why he was assigned to fly on the Mi-172,†an airforce officer says. Kiggundu did not only specialise in helicopters, but also MIGs and other aircraft.
Capt Paul Kiyimba
Another fine pilot, trained in Russia, China and Libya. Kiyimba has been a pilot for more than 20 years. “He was in his 40s and had operated with Nyakairu on different aircraft for a long time,†an officer at the air base says.
Sam Bakowa
In his 40s, he was a State House protocol officer, whose job on the ill-fated aircraft was to see that the Sudanese vice-president travelled well.
According to Onapito Ekomoloit, the president’s press secretary, Bakowa was a very jovial guy. “He was very nice, very popular and wonderful,†he says.
Before he joined State House, Bakowa was an attaché at the Ugandan Embassy in Libya. “It is because of his experience in diplomatic circles that he was selected to escort Dr Garang,†Onapito says. He is survived by a widow and several children.
Nyakairu, Kiggundu and Kiyimba were so much used to the chopper, that they suspected nothing wrong. The Mi-172 model was the latest on the market at the time it was acquired in 1998.
According to its specifications, it can fly in all weather conditions, can comfortably land with the engines turned off and can fly for long distances using only one engine. It has a capacity of detecting bad weather 100kms away, indicate how high or low it is from the ground and do all kinds of special safety measures.
Whatever went wrong and snuffed out their lives needs to be investigated. Trouble is, they might have gone with most of the information to their final resting place. May their souls rest in peace.