By George Bukenya
Former rebel Chief Col. Samson Mande praised Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi for his contribution in the bush war that ushered the ruling party to power after the five-year-long bush war that claimed over 500,000 people in the Luweero Triangle.
Col. Mande, who was commanding the National Resistance Army (NRA).. Battalion that operated in the outskirts of Kampala said he was given a task to oversee the security of them` Omutaka’ Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, whom he referred to as a fighter.
While addressing a rally at Kawempe Mosque playground over the weekend, Col. Mande said that those who claim to have helped return the Buganda Monarchy are wrong, asserting that the Kabaka himself fought and participated in the Liberation of Uganda, thus bringing NRM to power.
“ It wasn’t NRM that brought back the rule of monarchy in Buganda, but Kabaka fought for it, and I was with him at Katonga. I remember very well when we failed to defeat the government army at Katonga River, but when Kabaka came and performed some rituals, our opponents ran away. The following day we managed to cross and proceeded to Kampala,’’ Col. Mande narrated.
He further asserted that,’’ because of Kabala’s contribution, NRM came to power and also the party accepted the revival of the monarchy.’’
The Bush war fellow, an ardent critic of NRM methods, has been living in Sweden since he fled to exile after falling out with President Museveni, with Lt. Col. Anthony Kyakabale.
Col. Mande, one of the heroes of the NRA) which gave birth to UPDF but turned against Museveni’s rule, says he’s back in the ruling party and is now campaigning for the party’s candidates.
In a weekend NRM rally held at Kawempe Mbogo Mosque play ground, he rallied Kawempe North Residents to vote for President Museveni and Faridah Nambi as Member of Parliament for the constituency because she will be able to reach out to the president and lobby for their area.