Who are Uganda’s heores?
Oct 30, 2009
Ninety-seven people were declared heroes during Independence Day celebrations at Kololo on October 9. Sixty-nine more civilian heroes have been announced and will be decoration soon. Last week, we brought you the stories of a few of them. Joshua Kato now
Ninety-seven people were declared heroes during Independence Day celebrations at Kololo on October 9. Sixty-nine more civilian heroes have been announced and will be decoration soon. Last week, we brought you the stories of a few of them. Joshua Kato now brings you more stories behind some of the heroes decorated on Independence day. Look out for more profiles next week.
Jailed for supporting the NRA
Rhoda Kalema
Born in 1930, in Kiboga district to a Buganda Katikkiro Martin Nsibirwa, Rhoda Kalema deserves awards not only for her revolutionary role, but also her fight for role as a women’s emancipation advocate.
The widow of Nathan Kalema, who was killed during the Idi Amin regime, there was no question about her pursuing a political career, being a daughter of a premier and a wife of a minister. Her husband was a minister during Obote’s first regime.
But before that, her role as a pioneer member of the Women’s Movement in Uganda had caught many an eye. “I was bent on challenging all stereotypes against women,†she said. Because of that fight, her political supporters would use the phrase ‘Our man’ just like they did for the men.
Such is the height of her achievement that when Amin was overthrown, she was one two women on the National Consultative Council. the other one was Namirembe Bitamazire.
Kalema served as a junior Minister of Culture and Community Development during the short Godfrey Binaisa reign after Idi Amin was overthrown. She later joined Museveni’s Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM).
When Museveni went to the bush, Kalema was arrested and imprisoned in Luzira. After the war in 1986, she was appointed deputy minister for public service and cabinet affairs from 1989 to 1991. She was also an NRC member representing Kiboga and a member of the Constituent Assembly.
Rhoda Kalema went to Kings College Budo and she was one of the few girls there at the time. She joined a commercial college were she studied stenography and typing, before joining Gayaza High School as a secretary. After her marriage to William Kalema in 1950, she went to the UK were she studied social work at Edinburgh.
Supported the NRA guerillas
Israel Kayonde
He is a historical revolutionary, who was born in Gomba. In the 80s, he actively took part in the 1980 elections and when they were rigged, he supported the NRA rebels in the bush. He represented Gomba county in the NRC and the Constituent Assembly (CA) after the NRM took power.
He had earlier served as state minister for Trade. Kayonde is a gifted speaker and a moving Ugandan history encyclopedia of sorts. He speaks fast, but he is good to listen to. He is the head of the NRM Electoral Commission.
Linked FRONASA to cells in Mbale
Maumbe Mukhwana
When you think about the political and revolutionary history of this country, Maumbe Mukhwana is one of the people who comes to mind. In the 70s, he was one of the main links between FRONASA, a rebel group led by Museveni, and cells in Mbale. He worked with the likes of Eriya Kategaya, Ruhakana Rugunda, Ikuya Magode, Haruna Kibuye, Abbas Kibazo and Zubair Bakari, who headed cells in different parts of the country. Mukwana trained with FRELIMO in Mozambique, just like Museveni, before joining the revolution.
In 1974, one of his relatives, Namirundu, was executed by Idi Amin soldiers. During the chaotic period between 1979-80, Mukhwana was among delegates at the famous Moshi Conference, which paved the way forward after the over throw of Idi Amin. “I wanted something good for the country, irrespective of how I benefited from the change,†he said. Mukhwana was born in 1939 in Mbale. After the war in 1986, he became State Minister for Information up to 1990 and was a member of the National Resistance Council (NRC). He served as RDC first in Kumi and then in Pallisa, until 2001.
Mukhwana runs a farm in Nabanga village, Bunghoko in Bugisu and still refers to himself as a revolutionary.
Fought with NRA in the bush
Oliver Zizinga
Born in Gombe, Wakiso district, Zizinga was among the first women to actively embrace the military struggle in 1981. One of the reasons why she went to the bush was that she saw three of her children killed by Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) soldiers. “Two of them were killed while trying to smuggle salt to the fighters in the bush,†she said in her chronicles. In the bush, she served under different capacities, including moving guns from one camp to the other. However, her biggest scare in the bush was when she was wrongly accused by now FDC leader Colonel Kiiza Besigye, of poisoning their leader, Museveni, who had developed a swelling and become weak.
“When he was checked by Besigye, he concluded that he had been was poisoned. There was panic in the camp,†she said. The major suspects were the two women who were in charge of his food. Other than Oliver Zizinga, there was also Gertrude Njuba. They faced death by firing squad if it was proved that they had poisoned their leader. However, when Dr. Ronald Bata (RIP) checked Museveni, he discovered that he had been attacked by an amoeba. “That was the worst moment of my bush days,†she recounted.
She is currently a Presidential Advisor.
Jailed for supporting the NRA
Rhoda Kalema
Born in 1930, in Kiboga district to a Buganda Katikkiro Martin Nsibirwa, Rhoda Kalema deserves awards not only for her revolutionary role, but also her fight for role as a women’s emancipation advocate.
The widow of Nathan Kalema, who was killed during the Idi Amin regime, there was no question about her pursuing a political career, being a daughter of a premier and a wife of a minister. Her husband was a minister during Obote’s first regime.
But before that, her role as a pioneer member of the Women’s Movement in Uganda had caught many an eye. “I was bent on challenging all stereotypes against women,†she said. Because of that fight, her political supporters would use the phrase ‘Our man’ just like they did for the men.
Such is the height of her achievement that when Amin was overthrown, she was one two women on the National Consultative Council. the other one was Namirembe Bitamazire.
Kalema served as a junior Minister of Culture and Community Development during the short Godfrey Binaisa reign after Idi Amin was overthrown. She later joined Museveni’s Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM).
When Museveni went to the bush, Kalema was arrested and imprisoned in Luzira. After the war in 1986, she was appointed deputy minister for public service and cabinet affairs from 1989 to 1991. She was also an NRC member representing Kiboga and a member of the Constituent Assembly.
Rhoda Kalema went to Kings College Budo and she was one of the few girls there at the time. She joined a commercial college were she studied stenography and typing, before joining Gayaza High School as a secretary. After her marriage to William Kalema in 1950, she went to the UK were she studied social work at Edinburgh.
Supported the NRA guerillas
Israel Kayonde
He is a historical revolutionary, who was born in Gomba. In the 80s, he actively took part in the 1980 elections and when they were rigged, he supported the NRA rebels in the bush. He represented Gomba county in the NRC and the Constituent Assembly (CA) after the NRM took power.
He had earlier served as state minister for Trade. Kayonde is a gifted speaker and a moving Ugandan history encyclopedia of sorts. He speaks fast, but he is good to listen to. He is the head of the NRM Electoral Commission.
Linked FRONASA to cells in Mbale
Maumbe Mukhwana
When you think about the political and revolutionary history of this country, Maumbe Mukhwana is one of the people who comes to mind. In the 70s, he was one of the main links between FRONASA, a rebel group led by Museveni, and cells in Mbale. He worked with the likes of Eriya Kategaya, Ruhakana Rugunda, Ikuya Magode, Haruna Kibuye, Abbas Kibazo and Zubair Bakari, who headed cells in different parts of the country. Mukwana trained with FRELIMO in Mozambique, just like Museveni, before joining the revolution.
In 1974, one of his relatives, Namirundu, was executed by Idi Amin soldiers. During the chaotic period between 1979-80, Mukhwana was among delegates at the famous Moshi Conference, which paved the way forward after the over throw of Idi Amin. “I wanted something good for the country, irrespective of how I benefited from the change,†he said. Mukhwana was born in 1939 in Mbale. After the war in 1986, he became State Minister for Information up to 1990 and was a member of the National Resistance Council (NRC). He served as RDC first in Kumi and then in Pallisa, until 2001.
Mukhwana runs a farm in Nabanga village, Bunghoko in Bugisu and still refers to himself as a revolutionary.
Fought with NRA in the bush
Oliver Zizinga
Born in Gombe, Wakiso district, Zizinga was among the first women to actively embrace the military struggle in 1981. One of the reasons why she went to the bush was that she saw three of her children killed by Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) soldiers. “Two of them were killed while trying to smuggle salt to the fighters in the bush,†she said in her chronicles. In the bush, she served under different capacities, including moving guns from one camp to the other. However, her biggest scare in the bush was when she was wrongly accused by now FDC leader Colonel Kiiza Besigye, of poisoning their leader, Museveni, who had developed a swelling and become weak.
“When he was checked by Besigye, he concluded that he had been was poisoned. There was panic in the camp,†she said. The major suspects were the two women who were in charge of his food. Other than Oliver Zizinga, there was also Gertrude Njuba. They faced death by firing squad if it was proved that they had poisoned their leader. However, when Dr. Ronald Bata (RIP) checked Museveni, he discovered that he had been attacked by an amoeba. “That was the worst moment of my bush days,†she recounted.
She is currently a Presidential Advisor.