{UAH} OBOTE TERROR: MAKINDYE BARRACKS (WITNESS: ROLAND KAKOOZA MUTALE)
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Is this where Major Kakooza Mutale learnt the lessons he would later
utilize in the Kalangala Action Plan?
-----------------
In 1980, Roland Kakooza Mutale would bear witness to horrific events
in Makindye.
There was the beating to death of one Dr. Kununka, who was lashed and
thrown into a water tank. Another man, brought to Makindye in May
1980, bled to death in front of the two. They were asked to bury him
and in the process a commander thirsty for the blood of the two ex-
journalists asked to shoot them
himself. They escaped apparently
because this man asked for a
silenced pistol, which did not
come in time. However one Magala, was shot dead to Kakooza's right in
a line-up. Seven others died that day and Kakooza, struck with an iron
bar survived in a comatose state. As the dead were loaded onto a
Landrover, they were
stabbed to ensure they were
indeed deceased. Mrs. Kakooza
later went to find the remains and
check if her husband was amongst
them. He wasn't.
Many horrible things happened according to the two. Kakooza said a
man's pelvis was set on fire with paraffin. He died in agony.
Roland Kakooza Mutale. Witness
"Throughout my period in
Makindye they used to bring in
people and kill them at night.
When you leave the quarter-guard
you go towards the sick bay, just
beside there was a grave. If you try
to dig there is a mass grave. I saw
this, I participated in burying in
darkness. There was also an
underground cell, which was dark.
Everyday you would hear wails and
crying, a man crying for some time
then the crying would cease, then
you would see bodies removed
from the place. Certain moments
intensified the killings. The eve of Obote's coming back spelt death
because people were arrested and brought as anti-UPC or anti-Obote and
they were killed.
At that time, an Acholi soldier took his bayonet and I was sitting
down then, he tried to pierce this
bayonet into my heart. Now in
response I put up my hand. So if I
took off my shirt here; there is a
big scar where the bayonet
stopped. I put up my hand to save
my heart when the man cut. And
the man licked the bayonet. He
just licked it imagine. These were the kind of people keeping us"
Kakooza next turned to the notorious bus (cream in color with a red
band) which plied the suburbs of Kampala and rounded up people, many
of them to be killed in the murder centres.
The bus was known by Luganda
names of "Mpaawo atalikaaba"
meaning " None will escape
weeping", "Nsanga Bisibe",- " I find
packages (tied up)"- and "Sekiriba
kya ttaka"- "Skin of soil', meaning
soil surrounds a body in it, that all
shall wear this last skin. The names of this bus' drivers were
Sambuna, Bukenya and Nkambwe
(who called himself Sina Makosa).
Kalooza said that one of the bus' most notorious trips was when people
were killed in Natete at the police station in May 1980.
--
UAH forum is devoted to matters of interest to Ugandans. Individuals are responsible for whatever they post on this forum.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com or Abbey Semuwemba at: abbeysemuwemba@gmail.com.
utilize in the Kalangala Action Plan?
-----------------
In 1980, Roland Kakooza Mutale would bear witness to horrific events
in Makindye.
There was the beating to death of one Dr. Kununka, who was lashed and
thrown into a water tank. Another man, brought to Makindye in May
1980, bled to death in front of the two. They were asked to bury him
and in the process a commander thirsty for the blood of the two ex-
journalists asked to shoot them
himself. They escaped apparently
because this man asked for a
silenced pistol, which did not
come in time. However one Magala, was shot dead to Kakooza's right in
a line-up. Seven others died that day and Kakooza, struck with an iron
bar survived in a comatose state. As the dead were loaded onto a
Landrover, they were
stabbed to ensure they were
indeed deceased. Mrs. Kakooza
later went to find the remains and
check if her husband was amongst
them. He wasn't.
Many horrible things happened according to the two. Kakooza said a
man's pelvis was set on fire with paraffin. He died in agony.
Roland Kakooza Mutale. Witness
"Throughout my period in
Makindye they used to bring in
people and kill them at night.
When you leave the quarter-guard
you go towards the sick bay, just
beside there was a grave. If you try
to dig there is a mass grave. I saw
this, I participated in burying in
darkness. There was also an
underground cell, which was dark.
Everyday you would hear wails and
crying, a man crying for some time
then the crying would cease, then
you would see bodies removed
from the place. Certain moments
intensified the killings. The eve of Obote's coming back spelt death
because people were arrested and brought as anti-UPC or anti-Obote and
they were killed.
At that time, an Acholi soldier took his bayonet and I was sitting
down then, he tried to pierce this
bayonet into my heart. Now in
response I put up my hand. So if I
took off my shirt here; there is a
big scar where the bayonet
stopped. I put up my hand to save
my heart when the man cut. And
the man licked the bayonet. He
just licked it imagine. These were the kind of people keeping us"
Kakooza next turned to the notorious bus (cream in color with a red
band) which plied the suburbs of Kampala and rounded up people, many
of them to be killed in the murder centres.
The bus was known by Luganda
names of "Mpaawo atalikaaba"
meaning " None will escape
weeping", "Nsanga Bisibe",- " I find
packages (tied up)"- and "Sekiriba
kya ttaka"- "Skin of soil', meaning
soil surrounds a body in it, that all
shall wear this last skin. The names of this bus' drivers were
Sambuna, Bukenya and Nkambwe
(who called himself Sina Makosa).
Kalooza said that one of the bus' most notorious trips was when people
were killed in Natete at the police station in May 1980.
--
UAH forum is devoted to matters of interest to Ugandans. Individuals are responsible for whatever they post on this forum.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com or Abbey Semuwemba at: abbeysemuwemba@gmail.com.
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