Politicians and dogs not welcome!

“They have arrested Charles Bukuuwa,” said one terrified informant, “the personnel manager of African Textile Mill.”

“They have taken away William Wepukhulu,” said another, “the former secretary general of Bugisu District!’…. “They have carried off Abner Wangwe,” cried another, “the prominent accountant who owns a private company!”…. “They have bundled into a car boot,” screamed another, “a schoolboy who was passing by and happened to ask the nearest person what the sudden commotion was about…!’

“They have also arrested….” “They have also arrested….” “They have also arrested...!”

The stream of the reported insolent arrests filled Mwalye and me with utter consternation! The State-contrived ‘disappearances’ of presumed traitors of the regime were no longer a matter of clandestine night affairs but ugly theatricals in broad day-light! 

Only two years back, Mbale Municipality, together with a handful of other designated killing sites throughout the country, had witnessed the terrible spectacular death of four of its inhabitants by firing squad within public view. Among the so-called armed traitors was the innocent teenager Sebastian Namilundu, perhaps mistaken for someone else. On the appointed and publicised day, the victims first had their hands tied behind them (kandoya style), their bodies tied upon tree trunks with their backs against those trunks, and then they were instantaneously fired at from medium range by one or more of up to 15 hooded marksmen in military fatigues.

Fast-forward to the day of armed arrests in Mbale, except for the random schoolboy, all the three prominent arrestees owned cars which were also commandeered and driven off while their owners were each squeezed between two armed thugs on the back seat of three respective strange cars with civilian number plates. They were then furiously driven off behind the commandeered personal cars towards Tororo/Kampala.

Dumbfounded and helplessly angry, Mwalye and I waited for another two hours or so before setting out on our journey to Kampala, estimating that the abductors must be well ahead of us if headed in the same direction. On our dispirited way out of Mbale onto Tororo Road, at Mile Three, we were reminded that the civilian government had indeed been overthrown by the military; for, there to our left the former Bungokho County headquarters had been converted into Bumageni military barracks, with a signpost at the junction reading – OUT OF BOUNDS TO POLITICIANS AND DOGS!

But drive on we had to and, three hours later, at Namawojjolo roadside market, some 20 miles short of Kampala, we overtook a van with tinted window glass moving at a leisurely speed, which we suspected to be carrying one or two of the Mbale abductees. Five miles farther on, as we were climbing towards Mukono Town, we overtook another van with similar window glass, and from his co-driver’s seat – Mwalye looked back at the van – instantly causing the van’s driver to flash me with his full lights!

The message was unmistakable. Mwalye’s backward look was a questioning of the van and its occupants, with the implication that we could be part of a rescue team for the abductees, or a military counter-attack squad. Should that be what the abductors in the van thought, then we were in grave danger!

So I pushed my car (a Datsun SSS with a double-carburettor sports engine) to a stronger gear, pressed the accelerator pedal to the floor, shifted into cruising gear, and in seconds shot through Mukono Town at East African safari rally speed…