{UAH} THE FIRST CORRUPT NORTHERNER UNDER NRM GOVT

Dr Latigo during an interview with the Sunday Monitor recently. PHOTO BY HENRY LUBEGA 

In Summary

Here and there. Aerospace engineer Ben Latigo was hosting a house warming party when he got the news of his appointment as the general manager Uganda Airlines. He talked to Sunday Monitor's Henry Lubega about his days in Uganda and overseas.

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By Henry Lubega

I would not want to call my leaving the country a journey into exile. I had returned home in 1980 from the USA where I had gone for studies in 1973.

Five years after my return, I was appointed as the general manager Uganda Airlines. During my three months tenure, an incident happened where I had to recall an aircraft where a team of Uganda Airlines officials and I were supposed to have been aboard to take us to Pakistan to negotiate for the overhaul of that particular plane's engines. That happened on February 24, 1986. After about two to three weeks, I was arrested at Kiira Club in Jinja, where I had gone to represent Kampala Club in a tennis tournament.

The arrest
The next morning after my first game, I was asked to umpire a game. While umpiring the game, some security operatives came to the club and said they wanted me to go with them to Jinja Central Police Station. Together with my driver and a few colleagues from Kiira Club, we went to the police station. When we got there, the policemen did not know why I had been taken there because the security operatives had not communicated to them.

The operatives then said they wouldl take me to Afande but allowed me to pick my belonging from the hotel I was staying in. From the hotel we drove around Jinja until 4 O'clock when I asked the driver to stop. It is then that I asked the operatives to check my vehicle and its belongings, because I didn't know what they were looking for. Towards sunset we went to Jinja Arrmy Barracks for an hour or two, until an order came to take me to Kampala.

At Njeru Town we found an escort team to take us to Kampala. When we were in the city, we were taken to a detention house - a block or two away from the magistrate's court on Buganda Road - were we spent a night. The next day we where taken to CPS without being told why we were arrested.

We stayed at CPS for a week before appearing in court. I was charged with abuse of office before being released on bond later. My driver was, however, set free. While under detention at CPS, the government appointed someone else as the general manager Uganda airlines. I kept appearing in the magistrate's court every two weeks for eight months and the prosecution was not showing up. The only time he appeared is when he withdrew the case.

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A day after the case was withdrawn; security operatives came to my business premises in Nakivubo and asked me to report to CPS. At CPS, I was immediately arrested and taken to the magistrate's court the next day and charged with kidnap with intention to murder. The charge sheet did not name the victim and the prosecution said it was still investigating the case. I was sent to Luzira.

Demand for money
But before being sent to Luzira, some people approached my family and asked for $5,000 (about Shs12.5 million) to stop everything. They refused. While in Luzira the case attracted amnesty international's attention with complaints of prosecution of people from the north and they used me as an example. Every two weeks I was brought from Luzira to court for case mention. One Monday, I was produced in a traffic court next to the magistrate's court from where the case was withdrawn.

Planning the exit
After my release, the American Embassy and the Kenyan High Commission offices in Kampala were contacted and they did what they needed to do for me to leave the country. One Saturday, while at the Kenyan High Commission offices in Kampala, President Daniel arap Moi, who was conducting a Harrambe, was called and he gave permission for me to enter Kenya. I was taken to the Kenya border and the authorities on the other side took me to Nairobi where the Foreign Affairs ministry booked me into a hotel for two months as I waited for my family at the same time processing my travel to America.

Moving to America
I first went to America in 1973 as a graduate student; I was a US government guest, on what is called a J2 visa, which is sponsored by both your home government and the host government. I went on a Makerere University faculty development programme. While there, the US severed diplomatic relationship with Amin's regime. As a state guest my status transitioned from the J2 visa to permanent residency.

When I returned to America in May 1987, I went to Arizona State University where I became a professor of Aeronautical engineering for five years. Then I was appointed department chair at the College of Engineering, University of Toledo, in Ohio for six years. In 1999 I became the Dean of the College of Engineering, University of the District of Colombia for 12 years.

In 1996, I founded Kacoke Madit as platform to bring the two sides to the war to come together and talk peace; we held conferences where the two fighting groups came face to face with the victims of the war. In January last year, I was appointed the vice president and in-charge of academic affairs at New Hampshire University.

About the airlines

Uganda Airlines was the flag carrier of Uganda. The airline was established in May 1976, and started operations in 1977. It was headquartered in Entebbe, Wakiso District and operated from its hub in Entebbe International Airport.

Attempts were made by the government of Uganda to privatise the company, but all potential bidders pulled out, eventually leading to the liquidation of Uganda Airlines Corporation in early 2000s.
As of last month, there were plans by the government to revive the carrier.

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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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