Francis Kibuuka Amooti, the Mubende District Chairperson has hailed the late Maj Gen (rtd) Kasirye Ggwanga as a hero, who promoted agriculture in Mubende district when he was the district chairperson.
According to Kibuuka, Mubende is now a food basket because of Gen Gwanga.
“He emphasized agriculture during his time as the district chair in his one term in office. Mubende is a food basket today because of his efforts. As a district we shall find a special way how we shall always remember his efforts,” Kibuuka said on Tuesday.
Gen. Gwanga breathed his last at Nakasero hospital on Tuesday morning where he was admitted on May 18.
Gwanga underwent a successful operation two weeks ago after doctors discovered a blood clot in one of the vessels in his head.
In April, Kasirye was admitted to Mbuya military barracks where he received initial treatment before being referred to Nakasero for the operation. This happened four years after he suffered a lung-related complication for which he sought treatment abroad.
Born in 1952 in Mubende district, Gwanga attained his primary education at Katakala Primary School, before advancing to Kibuli Secondary School for his O’Level education. Thereafter, he joined the Uganda Army in 1972, during the regime of Idi Amin.
After successful training, Gwanga was posted to Arua in West Nile as a map reader. In 1978, he was promoted to the position of artillery officer.
In 1978, the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) invaded Uganda and in 1979, they captured Kampala and toppled President Amin. Gwanga surrendered and was taken to Tanga in Tanzania as a prisoner of war.
In June 1980, President Godfrey Binaisa negotiated the return of the political prisoners to Uganda. They were first housed at Maluku Prison in Mbale District, before being later moved to Kirinya Prison. On October 7 in 1981, Gwanga was in the first group to be released.
The events following Ggwanga’s release, saw his elder brother Lt. James Kasirye, a military pilot, arrested, tortured and then killed when he refused to identify where his brother Gwanga was hiding.
To avenge the killing of his brother, Gwanga joined the UFA rebels, then about 650-strong. In 1985, he left UFA and joined Yoweri Museveni’s National Resistance Army, which captured power in January 1986. During the drive to capture Kampala, Gwanga commanded a 120mm artillery unit.
On January 31, 2005, he was retired from the UPDF at the rank of brigadier. However, three months later, he returned to the military and asked to be re-instated. The UPDF commander-in-chief allowed him to rejoin on a renewable contract of five years.
Between 1986 and 2005, Gwanga served in several roles, including as the LC5 chairman for Mubende district and as director of stores in the UPDF.
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