{UAH} WHEN GEN. OKETA WANTED POWER SUPPLY TO WESTERN REGION DISCONNECTED
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COPED FROM THE UAH FACEBOOK GROUP
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Its late 1985, a young and junior Army officer, Lt. Julius Oketta is the Adjutant of the UNLA's 13th Battalion based at Masaka barracks. UNLA was the post Iddi Amin national army that was formed by inrergrating different fighting groups that had participated in the overthrow of Iddi Amin. Julius Oketta had been under the Save Uganda Movement of the likes of William Omaria, Akena Pajok Eteker Ejalu and had other militants like Matayo Kyaligonza. The development of the UNLA was undermined by Museven's thrust for power by seeking to form a personal Bantu dominated army to dislodge what he perceived as the northerners from power - thus his so called Bush War.
Around July 1985 the UNLA's 31st Battalion based in Fort Portal under Captain Okwera joined hands with the NRA after an understanding mediated by the Catholic Church in Fort Portal. A few days later the Acholi dominates faction of the UNLA under the command of Bazilio Okello and Tito Okello regrouped at their Gulu stronghold and adcanced on Kampala. Two days later they had swept through Masindi, Nakasongola, Bombo and they overthrew Obote's UPC government in Kampala. In western region, the NRA advanced on Mbarara with the aim of overrunning the UNLA's 12th Battalion based at Mbarara Barracks. Unknown to the NRA, the UNLA at Mbarara had been reinforced by UNRF and FUNA troops the previous night. These two groups had been aligned to Iddi Amin and from their bases in Sudan and Congo, they had also been fighting the UPC government but had now joined hands with the Okello junta in Kampala. Consequently, the NRA was devastatingly repulsed with great loss owing to that intelligence failure on the part of Kagame and Aronda who were in charge of the brigade's intelligence gathering.
The NRA opted to bypass Mbarara barracks and head for Masaka but at the same time maintained a sustained bombardment of Mbarara with light artillery pieces from the adjacent hills before 12th Battalion also gave in. In Masaka, the NRA under Gen. Saleh only managed to chase the soldiers who were residing in town who withdrew to the barracks. Because the Commanding Officer of 13th Battalion at Masaka barracks, Lt.Col. Olanya O'Hara was away, the Adjutant, Lt. Julius Oketta took over command and barricaded his troops inside the barracks. He successfully put up a sprites fight against the NRA leaving the later with no option but to lay siege of the barracks. Because of the barrack's strategic location - surrounded by heavy swamps which acted as natural barriers coupled by the landmines all-round the barracks some of which had been left by the Iddi Amin troops, it was difficult for the NRA to forcefully routing the UNLA.
However, though under siege, Lt. Oketta maintained regular contact with the army headquarters by army radio communication. He would give regular situation reports, request for reinforcements and giving strategic operational input to the general conduct of operations against the NRA beyond the besieged Masaka barracks. In one of the radio messages he suggested that the government ougt to disconnect power supply to western region because the NRA was using in milling maize flour in Kasese. Of course he forgot that Kasese was generating power for Kilembe Mines at Mubuku River. In another radio message acting out of frustration after the aerial logistical reinforcements repeatedly missed their target and instead dropped supplies into the NRA controlled areas of the siege. He lamented thus: "these people (NRA) are proving to be men and we (UNLA) are not.
At the time, ground reinforcements by the government troops had been halted at Katonfa Bridge with serious battles that culminated into a stalemate that fave rise to the Nairobi Peace Talks. Inside Masaka barracks, Oketta's command and leadership skills had successfully kept his troops loyal and highly motivated inspire of the three months siege chathat imposed hunger to the extent of feeding on rats and untold human suffering by both his troops and their families. It was only through negotiations spearheaded by Gen. Saleh that Lt. Oketa agreed to join hands with the NRA on condition that he be left to command his troops intact. Indeed, being a specialist in artillery and given the fact that at the time the NRA lacked expertise in some of the sophisticated artillery pieces, the troops under his command played a major role in the taking over of Katonga bridge and eventual walk over Kampala. In the early days of coming to power, Julius Oketta always featured in Museveni's public statements describing him as a live example of successful integration of former soldiers.
Now in the new government of Museveni, Julius Oketta was made the 2I/C (2nd in Command) of the NRA's 25th battalion (1986 - 1987), C.O (Commanding Officer) of 23rd Battalion, 31st Battalion before rising to become the 151 BOTO (Brigade Operations and Training Officer), Brigade Commander of 301 Bde in 1989 and eventually the Division Commander of NRA's 6th Division based in Karamoja (1989 - 1992) when he opted to retire from the army. However, shortly after at the insistence of politicians from northern Uganda, Museveni recalled him and he rejoined active service becoming the regional Reserve Force Commander at the height of the LRA insurgency. From 2001 - 2003, he was the Chief of Logistics and Engineering (CLE). It was around this time that Military Intelligence developed a dossier linking him with covert contacts with USA Embassy military Attaches. In 2003 he was posted to Republic of Sudan as the Liaison Officer before he came back to head the Army's Procurement Unit.
In 2004, he attended the Senior Staff and Command college at Kimaka in Jinja. In 2006, he contested for the parliamentary seat for Kilak county on the NRM ticket but lost and instead Museveni sent him to parliament as an M.P representing the army. He was later attached to the office of the Prime Minister where he was the Director of National Emergency Coordination and Operations. He played a major role during the Mt. Elgon landslides and the Kasese floods. In 2014, under the African Union he led a team of emergency fight against Ebola in Liberia - a task he meritiously accomplished. Thereafter he was assigned to deputise Gen. Saleh under the Operation Wealth Creation - a position he held till his death during the last weekend.
In 1996 he was involved in a motor accident that left him with a blood clot that was treated in France. Again in 2015 he got involved in another motor accident as he was following Museveni's convoy to Gulu but was not injured. He at one time underwent a successful heart surgery in India.
Observations
1. Oketta died discontented for having been let down by the Okello Junta prompting him to surrender his troops to the NRA in Jan. 1986.
2. Because he was a talented Acholi professional soldier, just like others in that category he was not afforded sufficient military training overseas.
3. His retirement in 1992 at a time when he had risen to the position of Division Commander was out of frustration and discontent.
4. His recalling into active service helped him to accumulate some personal wealth. Otherwise he would have either joined rebellion or died a destitute.
5. For him to contest for a parliamentary seat in 2006 he ought to have retired from the army. When was his second retirement and if so when did he rejoin again such that he even represented the army!!!!
6. His deployment to civilian assignments was a usual Museveni ploy to keep him out of mainstream military service for obvious political reasons more especially when the army's foot soldier corps is dominated by Acholis.
7. If the position of the Army Chief was to rotate by region, then its time for northern Uganda and Gen. Oketta was more qualified to replace Gen. Katumba Wamala.
8. Much as Gen. Oketta has been involved in land grabbing for personal enrichment, behind the scenes he has been fighting institutionalized land grabbing in his home of Amuru.
RIP, Gen.
INFORMATION IS POWER AND DEFIANCE IS THE WAY TO GO.
LINK:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1134851773301636&set=gm.10153845274766338&type=3&theater--------------------------------
Its late 1985, a young and junior Army officer, Lt. Julius Oketta is the Adjutant of the UNLA's 13th Battalion based at Masaka barracks. UNLA was the post Iddi Amin national army that was formed by inrergrating different fighting groups that had participated in the overthrow of Iddi Amin. Julius Oketta had been under the Save Uganda Movement of the likes of William Omaria, Akena Pajok Eteker Ejalu and had other militants like Matayo Kyaligonza. The development of the UNLA was undermined by Museven's thrust for power by seeking to form a personal Bantu dominated army to dislodge what he perceived as the northerners from power - thus his so called Bush War.
Around July 1985 the UNLA's 31st Battalion based in Fort Portal under Captain Okwera joined hands with the NRA after an understanding mediated by the Catholic Church in Fort Portal. A few days later the Acholi dominates faction of the UNLA under the command of Bazilio Okello and Tito Okello regrouped at their Gulu stronghold and adcanced on Kampala. Two days later they had swept through Masindi, Nakasongola, Bombo and they overthrew Obote's UPC government in Kampala. In western region, the NRA advanced on Mbarara with the aim of overrunning the UNLA's 12th Battalion based at Mbarara Barracks. Unknown to the NRA, the UNLA at Mbarara had been reinforced by UNRF and FUNA troops the previous night. These two groups had been aligned to Iddi Amin and from their bases in Sudan and Congo, they had also been fighting the UPC government but had now joined hands with the Okello junta in Kampala. Consequently, the NRA was devastatingly repulsed with great loss owing to that intelligence failure on the part of Kagame and Aronda who were in charge of the brigade's intelligence gathering.
The NRA opted to bypass Mbarara barracks and head for Masaka but at the same time maintained a sustained bombardment of Mbarara with light artillery pieces from the adjacent hills before 12th Battalion also gave in. In Masaka, the NRA under Gen. Saleh only managed to chase the soldiers who were residing in town who withdrew to the barracks. Because the Commanding Officer of 13th Battalion at Masaka barracks, Lt.Col. Olanya O'Hara was away, the Adjutant, Lt. Julius Oketta took over command and barricaded his troops inside the barracks. He successfully put up a sprites fight against the NRA leaving the later with no option but to lay siege of the barracks. Because of the barrack's strategic location - surrounded by heavy swamps which acted as natural barriers coupled by the landmines all-round the barracks some of which had been left by the Iddi Amin troops, it was difficult for the NRA to forcefully routing the UNLA.
However, though under siege, Lt. Oketta maintained regular contact with the army headquarters by army radio communication. He would give regular situation reports, request for reinforcements and giving strategic operational input to the general conduct of operations against the NRA beyond the besieged Masaka barracks. In one of the radio messages he suggested that the government ougt to disconnect power supply to western region because the NRA was using in milling maize flour in Kasese. Of course he forgot that Kasese was generating power for Kilembe Mines at Mubuku River. In another radio message acting out of frustration after the aerial logistical reinforcements repeatedly missed their target and instead dropped supplies into the NRA controlled areas of the siege. He lamented thus: "these people (NRA) are proving to be men and we (UNLA) are not.
At the time, ground reinforcements by the government troops had been halted at Katonfa Bridge with serious battles that culminated into a stalemate that fave rise to the Nairobi Peace Talks. Inside Masaka barracks, Oketta's command and leadership skills had successfully kept his troops loyal and highly motivated inspire of the three months siege chathat imposed hunger to the extent of feeding on rats and untold human suffering by both his troops and their families. It was only through negotiations spearheaded by Gen. Saleh that Lt. Oketa agreed to join hands with the NRA on condition that he be left to command his troops intact. Indeed, being a specialist in artillery and given the fact that at the time the NRA lacked expertise in some of the sophisticated artillery pieces, the troops under his command played a major role in the taking over of Katonga bridge and eventual walk over Kampala. In the early days of coming to power, Julius Oketta always featured in Museveni's public statements describing him as a live example of successful integration of former soldiers.
Now in the new government of Museveni, Julius Oketta was made the 2I/C (2nd in Command) of the NRA's 25th battalion (1986 - 1987), C.O (Commanding Officer) of 23rd Battalion, 31st Battalion before rising to become the 151 BOTO (Brigade Operations and Training Officer), Brigade Commander of 301 Bde in 1989 and eventually the Division Commander of NRA's 6th Division based in Karamoja (1989 - 1992) when he opted to retire from the army. However, shortly after at the insistence of politicians from northern Uganda, Museveni recalled him and he rejoined active service becoming the regional Reserve Force Commander at the height of the LRA insurgency. From 2001 - 2003, he was the Chief of Logistics and Engineering (CLE). It was around this time that Military Intelligence developed a dossier linking him with covert contacts with USA Embassy military Attaches. In 2003 he was posted to Republic of Sudan as the Liaison Officer before he came back to head the Army's Procurement Unit.
In 2004, he attended the Senior Staff and Command college at Kimaka in Jinja. In 2006, he contested for the parliamentary seat for Kilak county on the NRM ticket but lost and instead Museveni sent him to parliament as an M.P representing the army. He was later attached to the office of the Prime Minister where he was the Director of National Emergency Coordination and Operations. He played a major role during the Mt. Elgon landslides and the Kasese floods. In 2014, under the African Union he led a team of emergency fight against Ebola in Liberia - a task he meritiously accomplished. Thereafter he was assigned to deputise Gen. Saleh under the Operation Wealth Creation - a position he held till his death during the last weekend.
In 1996 he was involved in a motor accident that left him with a blood clot that was treated in France. Again in 2015 he got involved in another motor accident as he was following Museveni's convoy to Gulu but was not injured. He at one time underwent a successful heart surgery in India.
Observations
1. Oketta died discontented for having been let down by the Okello Junta prompting him to surrender his troops to the NRA in Jan. 1986.
2. Because he was a talented Acholi professional soldier, just like others in that category he was not afforded sufficient military training overseas.
3. His retirement in 1992 at a time when he had risen to the position of Division Commander was out of frustration and discontent.
4. His recalling into active service helped him to accumulate some personal wealth. Otherwise he would have either joined rebellion or died a destitute.
5. For him to contest for a parliamentary seat in 2006 he ought to have retired from the army. When was his second retirement and if so when did he rejoin again such that he even represented the army!!!!
6. His deployment to civilian assignments was a usual Museveni ploy to keep him out of mainstream military service for obvious political reasons more especially when the army's foot soldier corps is dominated by Acholis.
7. If the position of the Army Chief was to rotate by region, then its time for northern Uganda and Gen. Oketta was more qualified to replace Gen. Katumba Wamala.
8. Much as Gen. Oketta has been involved in land grabbing for personal enrichment, behind the scenes he has been fighting institutionalized land grabbing in his home of Amuru.
RIP, Gen.
INFORMATION IS POWER AND DEFIANCE IS THE WAY TO GO.
--
Allaah gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him."And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things." (6:17)
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