Prime
Museveni initially disagreed with attack on Kabamba - Kafuniza
NRA leader Yoweri Museveni. PHOTO/FILE
“I have never heard of Guweddeko, but what he is narrating is wrong. We, as the Gang of Four, had liaised with Mr Museveni to attack Kabamba Military Barracks though, initially, he did not allow it to happen. But when Binaisa removed him from the Cabinet, he was bitter.
All we disagreed on tactical issues but these were soon resolved. He wanted to give democracy a chance by going ahead with the elections. He did not want the world to think he was a war monger.
Organising for armed struggle
While UPM was taking part in the elections, we made a base in the Rwenzori Mountains and started organising for an armed struggle. After the elections, we met Museveni in Makindye and he told us that we had to join forces.
He sent Sam Magara and Kato Kentoma to inspect our sub-base in Virunga and we sorted out the details of the Kabamba attack. The plan was to attack jointly, and then we, the military wing of the Gang of Four, would return to our base in Rwenzori.
We would rendezvous in Rwemiyaga on February 4 [1981]. Our political leadership was in exile so I was leading the group with Joseph Nasasira, Brig Safari, (Brig) Chefe Ali and Augustine Kabandole.
On February 4, we walked from Virunga to Rwemiyaga. We were seven and we had four guns and one RPG. We were to attack Kabamba on the 5 [February, 1981].
Museveni’s group of about 40 people, with 27 arms, left Kampala on [February] 4 but their lorry broke down in Masaka.
Because we had no communication there was no way of knowing what had happened. We thought they had been detected by the enemy and one of them would reveal our location.
On the night of [February] 5, we decided to return to our sub-base knowing that if there was any change of plan they would send someone. On our way, we heard gunshots and anti-tank fire.
That is how we knew the attack had taken place.
We waited for them to send an emissary but after two weeks no one had come. They had fled to Kyenjojo.
We lost contact but we attacked Lyantonde and Ibanda police stations as we returned to Rwenzori. We continued recruiting both military and political cadres.
When we failed to get help from the Gang of Four, we decided to disband. We had no direct communication from Museveni but in 1982 we organised our recruits and gave them directions to Luweero.
Human resource factory for NRM
I did not go with them. We would have deprived those who knew our bases and needed training. We were like a human resource factory for the NRM.
We later re-joined the NRA when they hit Kabamba the second time. After the war I returned to farming.
I later became an LC and then RDC with special duties.
There was never any enmity between the Gang of Four and NRM. That is why they all returned and joined the government, except Nabudere,” says Emmanuel Kafuniza.
Emmanuel Kafuniza is a special presidential adviser on western region.
