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How Gen Pecos Kutesa will be remembered
Lt Gen Pecos Kutesa. PHOTO / COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Lt Gen Kutesa is remembered for executing deadly missions with self-assurance and devotion.
Lt Gen Pecos Kutesa, a former bush war hero, died yesterday at 65 after a long illness.
He was first admitted to a Nairobi hospital before he was flown to India for urgent specialised care.
His death came after he retired from the army on August 5.
“UPDF fraternity regrets to announce the passing on of Lt Gen Pecos Kutesa which occurred today (Tuesday) in India,” UPDF spokesperson, Brig Flavia Byekwaso, said in a statement yesterday.
Before he retired, Gen Kutesa was the Chief of Doctrine Synthesisation and Development under the Ministry of Defence.
Gen Kutesa will be remembered as one of the fearless NRA commanders.
Those who knew him talked of “a real soldier” who executed deadly missions with self-assurance and devotion. He was a born of Kabura, Lyantonde District.
The late began his military career in 1976 when he joined FRONASA, one of the military groups formed to fight the late President Idi Amin Dada.
He was trained at Munduli Military Academy in Tanzania and after the fall of Amin, he was sent to Nakasongola Military Training School.
In 1981, Kutesa deserted the army and joined Museveni’s National Resistance Army (NRA) rebels fighting to remove Milton Obote.
In his book “Uganda’s Revolution 1979-1986: How I Saw It” Kutesa says he joined FRONASA after completing S.6 at Masaka Secondary School.
In this book, the former guerrilla-combatant, who became a member of the Uganda Constituent Assembly in 1994, narrates his story during the war and details how he was forced to quit his initial deployment as part of the security team of the Chairman of the High Command, Yoweri Museveni, to go on the frontline. Kutesa traced his own growth and development from a naive young student to an adult troubled by political turmoil and presents his own reasons for joining the struggle and discusses the various roles he played in the course of the war and afterwards.
He offered glimpses into the attitudes, mindsets and personalities of the various actors in this war; when they are under great pressure at the frontline and in more relaxed circumstances.
On account of delayed promotion, Kutesa at some point applied for retirement but his request was not granted.
He was the only surviving section commander of the NRA force that attacked Kakiri in 1981.
Who was Pecos Kutesa?
Lt Gen Pecos Kutesa was an unassuming officer who was quite close to the Yoweri Museveni during the 1981-1986 Bush War but was not actively deployed after 1986.
One of the key moments during the Bush War is how he saved Mr Museveni from a palace coup. This incident resulted in a shooting incident where Mucunguzi shot dead Hannington Mugabi. Maj John Kazoora writes about this incident in his book.
He was also one of the daring fighters during the war, and his book has interesting insights about the struggle.
He used to be one of Mr Museveni bodyguards during the struggle with the late Akanga Byaruhanga.
Akanga Byaruhanga was the first Presidential Protection Unit commander.
