Ouma meets Commander Katumba

Apr 23, 2007

KASSIM Ouma walked into a Ugandan army facility for the first time in a decade yesterday, bringing to an end a long spell during which he was labelled a deserter.<br>Ouma had what army officers described as a fruitful courtesy call at the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces headquarters at Bombo.

By James Bakama
and Phillip Corry


KASSIM Ouma walked into a Ugandan army facility for the first time in a decade yesterday, bringing to an end a long spell during which he was labelled a deserter.
Ouma had what army officers described as a fruitful courtesy call at the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces headquarters at Bombo.

“He came to my office and we had a chat,” said Chief of Ground Forces Lt.Gen. Katumba Wamala.

On the issue of Ouma’s discharge, Katumba, a former boxer, said it was “a process” that would take time to be finalised.

Ouma also met with Camp Commandant Brig. Hussein Adda. “He has been encouraged to promote sports in the UPDF,” said one of Ouma’s aides.

Several excited soldiers later welcomed the boxer. Ouma deserted the army in 1997 for a professional boxing career where he later became a world champion. Ouma, 28. returned home on Saturday night.

It is the professional boxer’s first visit home in a decade after being pardoned for deserting the army.

“The army lost interest in the case against Ouma. The government has pardoned him after he apologised for having deserted the army,” defence ministry and army spokesman Major Felix Kulayigye revealed last week.

Ouma was a child soldier in the National Resistance Army.

“Special thanks to the President of Uganda Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for the good work done for this country. Uganda is totally changed,” Ouma had said soon after arrival.

The professional boxer’s next public event will be an open work out at Lugogo on Sunday, after a dinner at Hotel Africana, according to his spokesperson Alice Namatovu. An HBO television crew will spend most of the week making a film about Ouma’s background.

Ouma’s afternoon trip to Bombo followed a press conference at Centenary Park where the boxer’s manager Tom Moran said arrangements for a fight were on.
Moran said they were eyeing a fight soon.

“It could be against Shane Mosley, but we could still take on anybody.”
Ouma also hinted on an early retirement. “I’ll retire soon. I have only four years then I can become a promoter.”

Kampala mayor Nasser Ssebagala had some advice for Ouma: “Invest back at home. I want to see a big Ouma hotel. I don’t want to see you ten years from now walking on the street like many sportsmen have ended up.”

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