LEGACY OF 34 NV Monday, November 2, 2020 PATRIOTISM MUSEVENI: BORN A LIBERATOR

ByFOR Joshua Kato Museveni, as the leader of the ‘problematic’ group, was s a child, Yoweri asked to ask the first question. Museveni could easily He focused on the communism be dismissed as a system and Ujaama policy. He weakling because described the system as primitive, he was tall and slim. archaic and that it should be Behind that exterior build hid a stopped. tough and intelligent personality Given the popularity of the with a strategic character. system at the time in Tanzania, ARight from childhood, there was both lecturers and students something extraordinary about thought that Nyerere would be Museveni, as he often treaded the angered by Museveni’s questions. paths others feared. According to various accounts, Years later, he stunned the world Nyerere respectfully answered when he became President of the questions, one by one. Uganda. He came to power after Not long after, Museveni led a successful five-year guerrilla a student delegation to the struggle. He has been President Mozambican Liberation Front of Uganda for 34 years. He has (FRELIMO) controlled territory stood for democratic elections was admitted for law and Martin in Mozambique, then under four times and won. Currently, Mwesiga, who had joined a year Portuguese rule. FRELIMO was he is running for another term of earlier, for the same course. at the time led by Eduardo office in the upcoming election. At the time, Museveni Chivambo Mondlane and, later, Born in Nyamambo village, closely followed the wars of Samora Machel. Ntungamo in southwestern independence in various African Museveni crossed to Uganda in 1944, to Amos Kaguta countries, including Mozambique, Mozambique with seven other and Esteeri Kokundeka, Museveni South Africa and Rhodesia. students — two Zimbabweans, two is proud of his heritage and takes It was, therefore, not surprising Tanzanians, one Malawian and a special interest in language and when he formed the University Ugandan, John Kawanga. President other cultural values. Students’ African Revolutionary In his book, Sowing the Mustard Front activist group. The group FIRST MOBILISATION Seed, he says the name Museveni was comprised of students from After university in 1970 at the was given to him in honour of the around the East African region. age of 26, Museveni joined the In September 1972, he took part “The entire operation was ‘Seventh Regiment of the King’s Museveni, as chairman of the intelligence service of president in an attack that went wrong. He premised on poor and misleading African Rifles, the British colonial group, had a progressive view Apollo Milton Obote. was one of the commanders of intelligence,” Museveni said after army in which many Ugandans about society, which was then at Museveni said he did not join the failed attack. the botched attack. served during World War II. At the odds with what was being taught the government because he liked Judging from his earlier military Furthermore, Museveni’s ability time of his birth, many of them to the people of Tanzania at the Obote, but because, he wanted to training in Mozambique, he to mobilise people for a cause were returning home. time. understand how a government is had little hope that the attack was unrivalled. That is how he He was baptised Yoweri, a Soon, this message reached run. However, just less than a year would bear fruit because the met Maumbe Mukwana in 1970. Kinyankore name for the biblical President Julius Nyerere. One in office, Obote was overthrown. attackers had been ill-prepared. Although five years older than name Joel. day, Nyerere decided to visit When seized power in He, however came along because him, Museveni convinced Maumbe the university to ‘put’ the young the January 1971 military coup, it is what the majority had to support their struggle to AT SCHOOL students in their place. It turned Museveni fled to Tanzania with decided. He had preferred a more liberate Uganda from Amin. “I did not have any particular out to be an opportunity that other exiles. He was 27 at the protracted approach to the war, In one account, Maumbe problems in primary school propelled Museveni’s star even time. While in Tanzania, he started but the other exiles wanted a describes Museveni as consistent because I had a good memory higher. organising clandestine squads to short and sharp war, which they and inquisitive. His house in and found it easy to recall what I After Nyerere’s speech, overthrow Amin. led and owned. Maluku estate, Mbale acted as had learnt,” Museveni recounts. a meeting place for Museveni He attended Kyamate Primary and members of his young School in Ntungamo, revolutionary group. High School in 1958, and Ntare Museveni used to sneak into the School in 1960. While at Ntare country from Tanzania, where he School, he became a Born-again worked as a part-time teacher. Christian and a student leader. In Entering a country led by Amin school, he met his life-long friend, to fight him was not for the faint Eriya Kategaya, who, in a way, hearted. Unfortunately, in 1973, helped to shape his political and some of Museveni’s comrades military future. were killed by Amin soldiers in different incidents, during one of UNIVERSITY AND MILITARY TRAINING their clandestine operations. In 1967, Museveni went to the 1980: NRA Museveni escaped narrowly, University of Dar es Salaam commander after they had been cornered at in Tanzania, where he studied Museveni Maumbe’s house in Mbale. On political science and economics. addressing January 22, 1973, soldiers arrived His core group of friends from his troops at the house at around 5:00pm. It Ntare joined the same university. in Luwero seems the group was ‘given’ away They included Kategaya, who Triangle by their Volkswagen beetle. LEGACY OF 35 PATRIOTISM Monday, November 2, 2020 NV MUSEVENI CAPTURED POWER IN HIS EARLY 40S. HIS COMMANDERS WERE BARELY 30 YEARS

According to different them. In fact, in 1982, a group accounts, the soldiers of NRA officials had met then questioned Museveni and his vice-president Paulo Muwanga in two compatriots, who explained Germany, for possible talks. that they were students doing Museveni had also earlier research in the area. The soldiers allowed one of his most trusted ordered them to get back into officers, Sam Katabarwa, to their car. Instinctively, Museveni talk to officials from the Obote knew it was a bad idea, because government. However, Katabarwa they had guns in their car. was betrayed, arrested, tortured When they got close to the car, and killed. Museveni somersaulted over the On July 27, 1985, the UPC hedge fence and disappeared. government was overthrown and He had hoped that his two Lieutenant-General Tito Okello compatriots — Mwesiga and replaced Obote. This coup was a Kazimoto would also take cue direct consequence of Museveni’s and flee. But they did not. One successful military operations in soldier chased after Museveni Luwero. through a thicket, before According to who Museveni drew a pistol and shot commanded the NRA unit in the at the soldier. battle for Kembogo, hundreds of The soldier gave up the chase, UNLA soldiers had been killed. but ordered the execution of the Museveni delivering a lecture to When the survivors returned to other two. That tragic incident offi cers at Kabamba barracks their tactical bases in Bombo and only served to harden Museveni’s , they realised that most resolve to remove the Amin of the dead were Acholi members regime from power. of the UNLA. They then moved He went back to Tanzania and northwards and started planning continued mobilising supporters DRIVING ECONOMY TO RECOVERY for the coup. Weeks later, they for the struggle. Among those useveni inherited an economy that had totally the Mityana-Mubende highway and the Iganga-Tirinyi- captured power and immediately who joined Museveni was his collapsed. There was no single Mbale roads. However, he soon realised that this asked Museveni to come for 16-year-old brother, Caleb Moperating factory. Social services system would not be sustainable. Abandoning peace talks. After several weeks, Akandwanaho, better known as had been completely destroyed. For these ideas, Museveni embraced the neo-liberal the NRA finally agreed to talk Salim Saleh. example, tax collection was a mere $3.5m, structural adjustment programmes advocated by peace with the military junta. The teenager followed his which accounted for around 6% of GDP. the World Bank and the International Monetary The talks started on August brother to Tanzania, before The Ugandan shilling had dropped to such Fund. 26, and went on till December proceeding for military training low levels that a loaf of bread cost around In the mid-1990s, the economy started turning 17, 1985. Although a cease-fire in Mozambique. Others were sh15,000. around. By 1991, the volume of taxes collected was announced, it was never Lt. Gen. Ivan Koreta, Maj. Gen. Museveni initiated economic policies to started going up after the government set up the respected. The talks collapsed. Fred Rwigyema, Sam Katabarwa, combat hyperinfl ation and the balance of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). By 1993, taxes Ahmed Sseguya, Fred Rubereza payments. His very fi rst economic ideology collected had reached almost sh200b, up from CAPTURING KAMPALA and Brig. Chefe Ali. was simple. He used barter trade, to for sh5b in 1986. By 2000, the volumes had risen to over The push for Kampala started on The Uganda National Liberation example fi nance the construction of several sh1.5 trillion. Today, revenue collections stand at over sh12 January 17 from different parts Front (UNLF) joined forces major highways in the country. Two of these were trillion. Last year, URA collected about 19 trillion in taxes. of the central region. While Gen. with the Tanzanian army for a Saleh was the field commander, counter-attack, which culminated Museveni was the overall in the toppling of the Amin in GOING TO WAR WITH 27 GUNS their weapons. commander. April 1979. Museveni would, however, not By the time Oyite Ojok died in On January 25, 1986, fierce Museveni was named the new let Obote keep the power. With HIS MILITARY December 1983, the operation battles for the capture of the city Minister of State for Defence only 27 guns, he launched the had ebbed. were fought around Mengo. Lubiri in the new UNLF government. Popular Resistance Army (PRA), IDEOLOGY WAS ABOUT In late 1984, Museveni was not captured until around He was the youngest minister which later became the National moved some of his units to 8:00pm on a Friday. in Yusuf Lule’s administration. Resistance Army (NRA). SAVING LIVES OF the Rwenzoris for two tactical Makindye barracks was captured The troops Museveni recruited His choice of the operation reasons. One was to move most of by the 7th Battalion and Makerere into FRONASA during the war area, in the outskirts of the city, HIS FIGHTERS AND the sick from the war theatre to a University by the 11th battalion. were incorporated into the new was a master stroke that only a safer place and the other was to On Saturday January 26, Chefe national army. military strategist with foresight WEAPONS, RATHER open up a new front. Ali neutralised the artillery pieces The National Consultative could undertake. He knew that When the UNLA detected that were still firing away at the Council later selected Godfrey if he started the war by taking THAN RETAINING these movements, they made an city from Kololo. Binaisa as the new chairman on the well-equipped UNLA announcement on Radio Uganda The 1st battalion then fought of the UNLF, after infighting and Tanzanian forces head on, OR CAPTURING that the NRA had been chased through the city centre to saw Lule deposed in June 1979. he would lose. He thus decided out of the central region and had neutralise remnants of the UNLA. Binaisa, however, continued to wage a protracted people’s TERRITORY. fled to the Rwenzoris. Little did By 3:00pm on Saturday, most of with similar machinations to struggle. they know that the move was a these areas had been captured consolidate his own power base. Although he had just 40 men decoy and the core of the NRA and victory was declared. In May 1980, Binaisa was placed when he went to the bush, he had and moved farther on to Singo. fighting units had stayed in areas The remnants of the military under house arrest, after an over three battalions of soldiers This was one of the 25 major around Nakaseke. junta soldiers withdrew through attempt to dismiss Oyite Ojok, trained under FRONASA and offensives that the government Subsequently, they attacked Jinja Road to the east and Bombo the army chief of staff. integrated into the UNLA. These army launched during the war. Masindi garrison and then road to the north. According to A military commission, with trained fighters eventually joined Museveni had learnt to fight Kabamba military barracks. The Museveni, the NRA had tactfully Paulo Mwanga as chairman and him in the bush, one by one, against the UNLA only on his two operations got them over left the two major roads open Museveni as vice-chairman, was between 1981 and 1982. terms. His military ideology 2,000 rifles and other weaponry. for them to retreat, rather than installed and quickly announced By the end of 1981, the NRA was about saving lives of his After beating off several more having them fight to death inside plans for a general election fighters controlled most of fighters and weapons, rather than offensives and attacks in the the city. in December. However, the Luwero and Nakaseke and retaining or capturing territory. Luwero triangle, the UNLA On January 26, they had elections were rigged in favour carried out attacks in Mubende So, when the UNLA attacked gradually lost the will and might captured state power. Museveni of the Uganda People’s Congress and Hoima. However, in 1983, massively, NRA tactfully pulled to fight. was at the time in his early 40s of Milton Obote. The Democratic the UNLA, under the command away, only leaving behind ‘crack’ and most of his commanders Party, which is widely believed of Maj. Gen. David Oyite Ojok units to harass the convoys. PEACE TALKS were barely 30 years old. to have won the 1980 polls, launched a major offensive that Using landmines and RPGs, NRA Museveni had always said that Museveni was sworn in as conceded and took a humble forced the NRA to withdraw from hit trucks carrying soldiers on the if credible peace talks were president on January 29, by Chief seat in Parliament. most of their bases near Kampala roads, killed some and ‘charged’ organised, the NRA would attend Justice Peter Allen.