{UAH} COMPARE AND CONTRAST 1971 AND 1986

25th JAN 1971 AND 26TH JAN 1986 AS I SAW IT
On Monday January 24th 1971, l saw people near our home village at
Nnambiriizi cerebrating. They were led by one Mwalimu Kaluuna Mukiibi,
a Kabaka Yekka fanatic. He had put on a bark cloth shouting "Kabaka
adda," (Kabaka is coming back) , "Kabaka ajja" (Kabaka is coming)." My
paternal aunt, Fatina Nnatale, who was a brewer, donated them a
calabash of beer. l was four years.A neighboring herdsman donated a
bull for roasting. l asked my mother what was going on, she answered
that "Gen.Amin awambye," (Gen.Amin had taken over). Later in the year
Amin visited Mawogola in a chopper piloted by a White. He came with a
son of the soil, Kigoonya, who was Commissioner of Prisons, and on his
way to Kabula, he went with our Saza Chief, Yiga, l think to give him
a briefing. Kigonya, who was Commissioner of Buganda Prisons before
1966 crisis and a son of a chief, never survived AMin as he was
suspected to be collaborating with rbels after 1972 September
invasion. But Yiga, like many UPC men and women, who just changed
allegiance from Obote l to Amin, survived but was replaced by a
military saza chief, Cor. Francis Kasozi, in 1973.
Then on evening of April 1979, while grazing cows and goats near my
paternal's uncle, at Kyengera hill, Nnambiriizi, my adopted brother,
Asumani Ssali, came and broke news to me that Kampala had fallen to
Tanzanians and Amin regime was no more. Out of patriotism, l was a
fanatic supporter of Uganda during 1978-1979 war and l could not
believe that we could lose the war as we had Libya and Soviet Union as
our allies. Moreover Suicide Mechanised Reconaissance Reguiment under
the command of the late Brig. Bernard Rwehururu, had done well to stop
advancement of Tanzanian forces from Masaka to Mubende.
However, upon reaching home, l realized that we had lost and l had to
accept the situation as it was. One day in October 1979, during
currency reform exercise, a young minister for Defence visited
Ssembabule. He was Yoweri K Museveni. He was speaking in English with
our saza chief, Sebastian Kabumbuli Kitayimbwa translating, but people
were not satisfied with the translation and they told him to speak in
Runyankore and he did so. l came impressed with UNLF and when umbrella
politics was announced, l believed in it. However this was short
lived, as Military Commission took over and organized controversial
December 10 1980 general elections won by DP but rigged in favor of
UPC and sparked off a five year liberation war that brought NRM to
power on January 26th 1986. Many of our own people were involved in
the war.
On Friday July 26th 1985, as we were returning home from St. Victor's
SSS Kitaasa in Bukomansimbi, to start a second school term and
register as voters for 1980 general elections, soldiers on a military
truck from Mubende waved at us with a feast, which was a DP symbol. We
did not respond. Upon reaching home, during 8.00 pm news, it was
reported that three brigades had declared allegiance to President
Milton Obote. In one of the messages from one of the Brigade
Commanders, it was reported that "...now Museveni is no longer the
enemy of Uganda...'
On Saturday July 27th, when l reached home, l found a special
announcement by Eric Odwar Parmoi, "We want one united Uganda. Uganda
is not for a particular tribe or individual. We call upon Hon. Yoweri
Museveni and senior officers of UNLA to report at Senior Police
Officers Nakasero immediately.' l had missed the first announcement by
Walter Ochora.
This was followed with a series of public rallies held by senior
NRM/NRA commanders including now Col.Fred Boogere, now Brig. Elly
Kayanja, the late Male, who persuaded many including my self to join
NRM at Lwengo, which was its tactical headquarters. That was the time
NRM NRM Interim Chairperson Yoweri K. Museveni, Vice Chairperson Al
Haji Moses Kigongo, External Coordinator Samson Kisekka and Ssaabataka
Ronald Muwenda Mutebi ll held a public rally at Masaka.
When the new President, YKM said that " This was not a mere change of
guards, this was fundamental change," some people may not have taken
him seriously, for they have heard such promises since 1971, but they
realized that they had jumped from a frying pan to fire itself.
l am grateful to God to have allowed me to see all this and l pray
that that the fundamental change is not reversed. l say this for God
and my country. Happy liberation day national cerebrations.

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