Why does it matter that President Yoweri Museveni was awarded the Katonga Medal at the Tarehe Sita anniversary celebrations held at Kakyeeka Stadium in Mbarara City last Monday? The Katonga Medal is the highest military award in Uganda and is named after the battle that signified the final victory of the National Resistance Army (NRA) over the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) at the River of the same name located in the Lweera area of Kalungu District, Central Uganda. At that jungle spot, the UNLA had fortified itself with heavy weaponry as the last defenceline against the rebel forces that had overrun most of Western Uganda and parts of the Central region. Had the NRA failed to break the back of UNLA at Katonga, they would likely have been annihilated or pushed back a long distance, which would have prolonged Uganda’s agony for an unknown period of time.
Fortunately, with a combination of revolutionary valour, unusual fighting skills and experience gained over the five years of warfare, good leadership and command, and some good cache of weaponry gained overtime, NRA took the day. After the Katonga victory, the war was effectively over, only requiring the rebel forces to advance and take charge of Kampala. It was a major turning point and makes a good script for all those interested in learning more about revolutionary warfare!
In my view, President Museveni should have received this medal long ago, before former Libyan President Col Muammar Gaddafi received it in 2004 (for his contribution to the NRA bush war) and former Tanzanian President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere received it in 2007 (in recognition of his assistance in liberating Africa from colonialism and Uganda, from Idi Amin’s rule). Gen. Museveni has always exhibited extraordinary heroism, leadership and courage beyond the call of duty and risk to his life, but during the NRA war, he was exceptional and cemented his mark in history. He was the first and only Liberator to start a fighting force from scratch and grow it into a formidable fighting force that defeated a Government and has gone on to grow it into a fully-fledged national professional army, Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), that emulates his traits of service beyond self.
If such an individual does not deserve a medal for such work done, who will ever be awarded? The President has received many other honours and medals before, both local and foreign. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that he got the Katonga Medal. Previous awards provide a backdrop for it. Apart from his past accomplishments, he is an untiring leader who, together, with some of his comrades such as Gen. Saleh and Gen. Koreta, have never abandoned the revolution or given up on Uganda despite the challeges. How could anyone think or look at Uganda as it is and remember the FRONASA/ NRA struggles without paying tribute to the man at the centre of it all? The Museveni I know is not a man after medals, but after the total freedom of Uganda and Africa at large from the social ills afflicting the people.
Apart from his bush war feats, the national army he has built from scratch is a pro-people’s army unlike armies of previous Governments which terrorised citizens at will, as if they were strangers in their own country. UPDF only “returns the favour” to those that threaten the wellbeing of Ugandans and national progress. On that, there is no compromise as the situation prevailing in the country has a price to it-the blood and sweat of great combatants, the living and the dead.
Those sacrifices bore the democratic dispensation we enjoy, where in Ugandans freely choose their leaders and participate in leadership at diverse levels than before. Competitive space was opened up and expanded, with many avenues created to nurture democracy.
While the National Resistance Movement (NRM), which President Museveni leads as its National Chairman, has won elections consecutively and dominates national leadership structures, the opposition freely participates in elections and wins some seats in Parliament, Local Governments and in other forums. Dr. Kizza Besigye who has contested against and lost elections to President Museveni four times remains in Uganda; he travels out and returns because he knows that apart from political his differences and difficulties, Uganda is a free country.
There is also justice because even most cases opened against him in the courts he has won. By the way, if Museveni had not launched a liberation struggle, Dr. Besigye would likely not have had an opportunity to participate in liberating the country.
President Museveni additionally deserves the Katonga Medal because of the Socioeconomic transformation evident in Uganda; access to social services such Health and Education has been expanded, Infrastructure has been established such as roads and Ugandans see these everyday; industries and production have increased, creating jobs and raising revenue in the national coffers, and so on. Now the President is deepening the struggle against household poverty through programmes such as Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga. The Medal comes as a timely reminder of both the grim prospects that the fighters while attacking Kabamba on February 6, 1981 and the bright prospects and optimism introduced by the victory at Katonga. If he waged a war with nothing and won, how much more efficient will he be in winning the war on poverty? All he needs is the full support and involvement of Ugandans to win this phase of the struggle.
Government is not about medals-but service. Marking anniversaries usually call for formalities of recognising great contributors in our land in order to inspire others to make their own mark in nation building and uplifting society through differentbfields.
On the same occasion at Kakyeeka, other distinguished Ugandans including Gen. Salim Saleh (Caleb Akandwanaho), Gen. Ivan Koreta and Brig. Gen. John Bosco Omure received medals. I take the opportunity to congratulate the awardees and thank the Chancellery and the Presidential Awards Committee for doing a good job in selecting worthy beneficiaries.
The author is the Deputy Presidential Press Secretary
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