Early this week, different media houses reported the arrest and detention of Rtd Maj Gen Kasirye Gwanga at Mbuya military barracks over what some connected to his recent assault to the people of Mityana Municipality whom he accused of flaunting the presidential stay home directive in the fight against Coronavirus.
Although the army came out to strongly refute the reports of the arrest when army spokesperson Gen Richard Karemire said that the decorated ex combatant was indeed receiving treatment at the military facility, Gen Gwanga’s leaked phone account to the media gives birth to a version far different from that of the UPDF mouthpiece.
According to Kasirye Gwanga,the military had sent him officers attached to the UPDF’s Military Police amidst resistance that he didn’t need any protection from the military since he was no longer a serving officer in the army.
His pleas however fell on deaf ears and the deployment was maintained. The officers however went on to misbehave at the General’s home, roaming around the village and getting into romantic relationships with married women from the village, prompting Gwanga to ask that they are sent back as he feared the freely roaming men in uniform could contract him with Coronavirus.
The under fire retired officer has had a bad history of gun violence which made the need to tame his trigger happy life an absolute necessity after concluding that uncensored freedom to General Gwanga was dangerous to human life.
Kasirye Gwanga’s loose mouth has reportedly also caused him troubles with the establishment he has served for decades. Following his retirement from the army , the embattled Gwanga has often come out with contagious remarks against both the army and the government,raising fears from his former Commander in Chief who saw it absolutely important that he is kept under close watch.
In the wake of his retirement from the army in 2018,Gwanga, who shunned the army function that would have officially seen him off said he hadn’t attended for he couldn’t salute the young boys (probably referring to General David Muhoozi). This was interpreted as indiscipline.
Early this year, Gwanga openly pinned himself when he said he was behind the political fame of Kyadondo East MP,Robert Kyagulanyi’s surprising political master strokes that had for long left many wondering the source.
” I am training Bobi Wine to be the next president of Uganda,” Gwanga boasted during an interview at the Buganda Kingdom owned BBS Talefeyina.
Although he later clarified that he doesn’t mean that Bobi wine will be president in 2021 rather than 2026, his declaration is not one that Museveni wishes to treat with carelessness let’s he hits the government where it hurts most.
” He is going to be the next president of Uganda. It may not be now but I know he will be one time. And I have told him that he should relax. His time is coming in 2026,” Gwanga said of Bobi Wine.
Following the arrest of His former NRA comrade, LT Gen. Henry Tumukunde early last month, Gwanga criticised the government of President Museveni for mistreating a senior army officer in what he called “a manner unbefitting “of a general.
He added that such actions were bound to attract bad emotions with the UPDF if nothing is done to combat it.
These remarks coming at a time when former Army Commander Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntu had just predicted a mass Exodus of Senior officers from the UPDF to the opposition calls for the need to keep Gwanga under strict scrutiny.
Below, we take you through the popular violence and gun scandles that could have prompted the UPDF to keep the motor mouthed Gwanga under close watch.
November 2007
Maj Gen Ggwanga, then Brigadier, slapped a traffic police officer who had blocked him from using Entebbe Road. He drove off. The then Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura, condemned the act and promised to bring the army officer to book. Police did not take any action despite the officer reporting the case.
September 9, 2008
Brig Ggwanga beat up Mr Ssebina Ssekitoleko, then an aide to former prime minister Amama Mbabazi, at Metro FM over the controversy on National Social Security Fund land in Temangalo. Mr Ssebina opened a case at Old Kampala Police Station.
Mr Mbabazi said he would contact the army to investigate Brig Ggwanga. Neither the army nor the police summoned him for questioning.
December 24, 2009
Brig Ggwanga raided a playground where Pentecostal Christians were holding a prayer crusade near Makindye Magistrate’s Court on Christmas eve. He fired in the air, scattering the faithfuls and their pastor, whom he accused of making noise in a residential neighbourhood. The case has never been investigated.
July 2010
Maj Gen Ggwanga is alleged to have knocked dead an 11-year-old Elijah Oyako in Entebbe. He did not report to police. The case of reckless driving causing death was opened and taken to court. He has never appeared in court.
Entebbe Magistrate’s Court issued an arrest warrant against him but he has never been arrested. He later told Daily Monitor that he was in touch with the bereaved family to have an out-of-court settlement.
May 2011;
Ggwanga was accused of setting his dogs on a civilian at Total Petrol Station at Kibuye, a Kampala suburb. The victim reported to police but Ggwanga insisted the man wanted to steal property from his car and was bitten by his dogs. Police did not summon Brig Ggwanga to make a statement.
April 2012:
He was accused of assault by Mr Vincent Bagonza, Mr Ezra Sigiranda and Mr Ano Gafa, all residents of Boma in Mubende District. Police said they would summon Ggwanga over the allegations, but they have not to-date.
August 2012
The then Brig reportedly stopped police from carrying out an eviction at his home in Makindye Division despite a court order. They then made a second eviction attempt after the court issued another order but again failed. UPDF intervened but Brig Ggwanga told the then Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Katumba Wamala, to stay off his property. He still occupies the plot.
August 2017
He burnt a grader on the land, which he said was owned by his daughter on Lubowa hill in Naziba Village, Ndejje, off Entebbe Road. Although Brig Ggwanga recorded a statement with Military Police, he was not charged with any offence.
In January 2019:
Gwanga shot at and deflated the tyres of singer Catherine Kusasira’s car for allegedly making noise for his children. It was reported that Gwanga had been called to intervene during a high voice altercation between his children and Kusasira’s aides which had erupted after they were asked to turn off their music by General Gwanga’s children.
When they refused, the General’s children allegedly threatened to call their father to “pump some sense” in them. Before he was invited, Gwanga came and on listening to his children’s account,hesent for his gun from his parked car, shot at Nasasira’s car and drove off.
In July 2019
He shot and deflated the tyres of a lorry ferrying eucalyptus logs in Busunju, Mityana District
He shot and deflated the tyres of a lorry that was ferrying logs of eucalyptus in Busujju County, Mityana District following his announcement that he would stop all the people cutting trees from his area of birth including those with artificial forests claiming that they had first cut natural forests before planting their trees adding that they thus had no right to cut them down.
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