By Rashid Ssenyonjo Lwanga
This is the heartfelt testimony of a survivor of the Obote II regime, now a proud NRM stalwart. He recalls how he narrowly escaped death in October 1980, when about twelve of his fellow youth activists were arrested. Their whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
“We had organized ourselves to remove Obote through the ballot. We were originally members of the Democratic Party (DP), but we later left after realizing it was promoting politics of identity and tribal radicalism.
We then joined the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), but our parents warned us that Obote hated the Baganda and Muslims. That’s when we found ourselves drawn to the ideas of the new Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM), led by then Mr. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. I personally joined after being convinced by a man called Wanandeya from Mbale.
We travelled to Buswole in Bunyole, where Obote was expected the next day. Our goal was to send him a clear message: he was not welcome.
During the operation, we burnt the UPC office in the area. Unfortunately, about twelve of my colleagues were arrested, and their fate remains unknown.
I was lucky. I returned to my village, Namengo, and went into hiding. I lived incommunicado for some time and didn’t show my face again in Mbale town for a while.”
Bunyole is the home of late Badru Wegulo former vice chairman of UPC.
During that time they arrested a prominent businessman by the names of Asadi Mwanga and he was reportedly killed after. They came to our nearest trading centre Namagumba and arrested a prominent person by the names of Sharif and up to now, we have never seen his body. We used a Mercedes Benz truck owned by Hajji Yunus Miya to go to Bunyole and later, the truck was also impounded
Heroes Day is worth celebrating because some of us would be dead by now ‘ of it was not God’s plan.
The writer is Rashid Ssenyonjo Lwanga, a businessman and former survivor of the brutality of the past regime.
Hajji Lwanga through his Modernity Company is one of the leading importers of Japanese and Germany cars in the country located in Bugolobi next to American embassy.
He’s a proud NRM party diehard who up now is ready to die for it…a long side his parents, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is his Hero since childhood.
