By Ronald Ndawula
This year marks about 40 years since ‘abayeekera’ (Guerrillas) as they were dubbed then, laid an attack on Luwero police station and killed several police officers and went away with their guns.
This was a turning point for most people in the area as lives were affected forever.
Recounting the cost of war in terms of innocent lives alone makes you think we should never do it again as there seems to be no justification.
The week that followed that attack we had to foot from Luwero to Kampala which took us 3 days carrying luggage.
I was about 10 years and I still vividly see those days as if it were yesterday.
After a week or so, we had information that the army had taken over town and everything had been looted.
After a while my guardian wanted to go back to Luwero because he was a civil servant and working with the ministry of rehabilitation and was responsible for the refugees stationed in luwero.
The following month we left the family in Mukono, (ewa Antony ) I still don’t know whether that place goes by that name!
He came back with me to be his helper.
On arriving we found our house had been bombed to open the door for looters and there was nothing left.
We stayed at the late Mulayis home for a few days in Bukuma and later proceeded to Nsaasi at Mzee kayise’s home.
Covid is locking down the country but Museveni lockdown down Luwero more than covid.
We spent several months without school and people were dying.
Fear pervaded the whole place and sometimes we used to sleep in the coffee plantation as rumours came that they would come for Daddy’s motor cycle as we used to refer to my guardian.
Stories of tough army men coming from Bondo in Arua also scared the hell out of us and we had to foot again from Luwero to Wobulenzi waluleeta and we stayed for some time to assess the situation then move back.
These and many other disruptive events were the order of the day and spontaneous killings by sebirumbi, the army and other UPC Obotes men In the name of looking for guerrillas .
5 years under constant deprivation, fear, loss of lives and property means alot and when I see the people of Luwero dont have anything to be proud for the immense sacrifice they made, even there would be Ministry going to Kaboyo or to thank her for what?
People can forget!
Hajji Nadduli represented us so well and filled this gap wholly but still we deserve a museum, stadium, an office block or a fully facilitated Hospital.
When I see Full figure, Buchaman and kusasira calling the tunes and our people languishing in abject poverty it is disheartening.
Who will ever talk about the police officers who died on duty keeping law and order?
Who will ever pay for the collateral damage of life and property? Who will ever tell the stories of those who were taken alive like my uncle Kabogoza and never came back up to now.
How will we ever explain to the next generation and the justification for the war that killed their grandparents?
If this government can’t create a ministry out of the 80 openings to pay tribute to the Luwero war dead then who will ever do?
Who will ever be happy to know that they were duped to fight a war of self-aggrandizement.
On Independence Day, covid gone, God willing we are going to organize a memorial service for the Luwero war dead.
The writer Is a former chairperson of Luwero district
