{UAH} Pojim/WBK: ‘Two gun shots, and Janani Luwum’s cell went silent’
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'Two gun shots, and Janani Luwum's cell went silent'
Written by APOLLO WODOKELLO LAWOKO
On Monday, President Museveni declared February 16 Janani Luwum day, in remembrance of the Anglican archbishop killed 38 years ago.
Among the many testimonies at the national events in Kitgum was this one byAPOLLO WODOKELLO LAWOKO, who worked with Radio Uganda and Uganda Television (now UBC).
Allow me to begin this testimony by thanking the Almighty God and Most High, for having preserved and protected me to this day; and permitting me to stand here today; before this mighty congregation of Christians and various religious persuasions; as the living witness who spent the last hours with St Janani Luwum, that fateful day, 38 years ago, on 16th February, 1977, in the dungeons of Nakasero.
The event took place in the then human slaughterhouse, which was the headquarters of the then most feared para-military state organ best known as – THE STATE RESEARCH BUREAU that used to terrorise citizens throughout the country, in search of imaginary opponents wanting or planning to overturn dictator Idi Amin's murderous regime.
I was arrested on 15th February, 1977; kidnapped from my office in Broadcasting House in Kampala and driven to the State Research Bureau headquarters, close to the All Saints cathedral, and the Presidential Lodge Nakasero in Kampala.
By then I was a civil servant in the ministry of information and broadcasting, holding the post of controller of programmers in charge of Radio Uganda broadcasting programmes throughout the country. On arrival at the slaughter centre, I was taken before the officer in-charge by the name of Maj Farouk Minawa; was stripped naked and beaten unconscious.
Next morning, that fateful day of 16 February, 1977, I recovered my senses and found myself in a pathetic prison cell number one, situated deep underground. Seated by my side and watching over me were James Kahigiriza, formerly Land Commissioner; a Mr Bwire from the Ministry of Animal Resources; Mr Ongom-Okuk from Apach Local Government; Mr Ecel, Gombolola chief from Lango, among many other captives already in the cell for the condemned.
The captives were very kind and worked hard to revive or resuscitate me despite their own injuries. Just as I was being initiated; and coming to terms with the new situation, we heard a convoy of vehicles arriving on the parking lots above our cell at 4pm.
The vehicles were being driven in high speed and stopping with screeching sounds as the occupants yelled at their captives who were physically beaten and dragged down the stairs to the underground cells.
The heavy wooden door to our Cell No 1 was thrown open, and Charles Oboth-Ofumbi, the then minister of Internal Affairs, was thrown in among us, already stripped to his underpants; followed by Erinayo Oryema, formerly Inspector General of Uganda Police; and the then minister of Lands, Water and Natural Resources.
We were then moved from Cell No 1; leaving the two ministers alone; to Cell No 2; where we met with Abdalla Anyuru, Ben Ongom, Ben Ogwang and John Olobo Leji, who had just returned from forced confession under duress at the International Conference Centre, Kampala that afternoon.
Cell No 2 was bigger and had large iron grilled door; one could see the stair-cases; and the underground reception clearly from the cell. Within minutes of our transfer, we heard another convoy of vehicles arrived at high speed on the ground parking lot.
Someone was being beaten and dragged downstairs; that was none other than Archbishop Janani Luwum who was being beaten with gun-butts, jabbed and kicked by a swamp of guards, led by Farouk Minawa himself. Janani Luwum maintained his composure despite the heavy blows he was receiving. He kept saying in a calm voice:
"I keep telling you I am innocent. I have not offended any person or plotted against any government in the world. I am prepared to stand and die on this true concept!"
But the guards were never perturbed or relented. They mocked; humiliated; and spit at him saying:
"If you think or believe that you are the leader of religion of Jesus, (whatever his other name is) pray and let him remove you from the suffering of this jail."
At one point we heard the archbishop say in a firm voice;
"You have broken my jaw! I tell you I have done nothing wrong to the state. You can continue to do whatever you please on me, but I am firm on that fact."
There came a moment when he reprimanded Major Farouk Minawa and his guards in a strong and commanding voice and said:
"I have told you time and again that I am innocent. The power that you are wielding comes from God. You may kill me if you want to, but you will pay very dearly in future for my part and that many other citizens of Uganda who have suffered and are suffering, or have lost their lives at your hands!"
The Archbishop Janani Luwum reprimanded Major Minawa, who was standing there and giving orders to his close guards, namely one Lt Latiff, Hajji Kabugo, Sgt Adrapi. After that firm reprimand, Maj Farouk ordered his goons to stop beating the archbishop and, in turn, instructed the archbishop to sit down in a corner in the Cell No 2.
Janani looked at us around the C2 with great compassion and pity as we were cramped together with more new arrivals, including the police and the army; and we looked back at him with pity and overwhelmed sympathy.
This was about the time Y. Y. Okoth was brought into the C2 when he was arrested after attending the conference which turned to be a kangaroo court at the International Conference Centre, Kampala.
"Never lose faith in God, whatever they do to you. One day the world will get to know of these evils!" he exclaimed with a commanding voice.
Thereafter, all detainees in C2 were immediately transferred back to Cell No 1; together with Erinayo Oryema and Charles Oboth Ofumbi. At this point Janani Luwum was taken out and dressed in his clerical attire. When he was escorted back to Cell No 1, he immediately called for prayer. The captives in the cell relished spiritual consolation to bring about spiritual comfort; away from physical and mental pains and torture we were constantly being subjected to.
Janani Luwum, the Archbishop of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga Zaire; and Bishop of Kampala diocese, conducted his last grace with convicts in the dungeon of Nakasero for about ten minutes at 8pm only a short distance from All Saints cathedral, his headquarters of Kampala diocese.
He prayed for Uganda as a nation that the almighty may deliver the country from the sufferings it was subjected to; and prayed for those in authority to have mercy on the Ugandan citizens who were intimidated and being driven to fears and lack directions.
After that prayer, calm seemed to be returning in the small dungeon, when the wooden door was thrown open and Maj Farouk Minawa appeared and read out the names of persons to get out of the cramped Cell No 1.
The list started with Archbishop Luwum, Lt Colonel Erinayo Oryema, Minister Charles Oboth-Ofumbi, Chief Inspector of Schools, Y. Y. Okot, Okidi Menya, General Manager, Uganda Bottling Company; and Apollo Lawoko, controller of programmes, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation.
We were lined up and instructed to go upstairs in that order. When we reached the ground level, we found Idi Amin himself standing in the ground reception in the company of Robert (Bob) Astles, and the then minister of Planning, Mr Jumba Masagazi. They were joined by Major Farouk, Hajji Kabugo, Lt Latiff, and Sgt Adrapi who escorted us upstairs. Without saying a word, Amin led the way on the stairs to the first stairs to the ground where Farouk Minawa's office was situated.
When we reached the door to Frank Minawa's office, Amin spoke to Farouk in Nubian tongue and the Archbishop Janan Luwum, Erinayo Oryema and Charles Oboth-Ofumbi were let inside Major Farouk's office with all the close guards. Mr Y. Y. Okot, Mr Okidi Menya and myself, were ordered to be kept in a separate room opposite Farouk's office and two armed guards were directed to watch over us.
Idi Amin himself; dressed in fatigue uniform; was wearing pistols on both hips. He entered with his entourage including Bob Astles, Jumba Masagazi into Farouk's office and there were cries of agony of tortures. We could hear Amin shouting and saying:
"You people were plotting to kill me and overthrow my government, and thought you would get away with it. But before you kill me, I will kill you first! I will kill you before you kill me and overthrow my government!"
At this point, Major Farouk Minawa rushed out from his office, sweating and ordered the guards watching over us to take Y. Y. Okot, Okidi Menya and myself back to the underground cells; and will be brought later. As we were being headed back from the room, we heard two gun-shots in Farouk's office, and there was relative silence for a time.
In a matter of about 10 minutes, one of the guards who were watching over us, returned and asked for Y. Y. Okot, if he knew where the late archbishop and the two ministers were and Okot said he did not know. But with glee, pomp and arrogance, the man pronounced himself – Nyangao – hyena – carnivore; stating that they were finished – kalas – and our day would be the next day!
Full details of what transpired thereafter may be got from my book entitled – The Dungeons of Nakasero.
May the good Lord bless and keep you well in the spirit and blood of St Janani Luwum!
For God and My Country!
Comments
That man is still plotting to have more Ugandans butchered in cold blood!
The Chief Executioner at SRB, a one Hajj Kabugo did pass on a few years back at ripe old age with no charges brought against him by M7.
Obura of the Public Safety Unit was hanged by you know who!
Because if there were equality for all the Amin's victims, then from now onward, for the next 365 days of the years he will be in office; M7 will either singularly or collectively, be declaring a national day for all the people murdered by Amin between 1971 and 1979.
Unfortunately, because of votes, politics can really dehumanize the leaders and the led, therefore the equal are treated equally and the unequal are treated unequally.
May God bless the souls of the lowly ones whose lonely death (murder) in the bloody hands of state apparatus, will never be remembered with gun salutes; nor a national prayer, and even a moment of silence.
Web, don't forget the hand that wrote the infamous Obote's letter to the Acholi and Langi that implicated Luwum, Oryema and Oboth; which pushed Amin's finger to pull the trigger on Luwum is still prolifically writing.
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