Comrades mourn Maj.Gen.Kasirye Ggwanga

A few hours of the passing of Rtd Maj Gen Kasirye Ggwanga on Tuesday morning, comrades and other members of the public have hailed the former presidential adviser on Buganda affairs as a hero.

Ggwanga breathed his last at Nakasero Hospital where he had been admitted a few weeks ago.

Lt Col Juma Seiko said he has worked with Ggwanga for over 40 years but described him as a great comrade and adviser.

“He was a man of the people, good commander, a fearless and great leader. He has been one of my mentors. The country has lost a great man,” Seiko said of the late.

Speaking with teary eyes, Seiko said he was a few weeks ago informed of Ggwanga’s condition by his daughter only to find him admitted in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

“I will describe him as a hero and role model. He was my adviser in farming. Even a month ago, he advised me to plant trees to make money. Unfortunately, he has gone at this time.

Joining Amin’s army at a tender age of 20 in 1972, Kasirye Ggwanga was first deployed West Nile as a map reader but was captured in 1978 and taken as the prisoner of war by the Tanzanian army and on release, he joined the late Andrew Lutakome Kayiira’s Uganda Freedom Movement.

However, in 1985, he ditched UFM for the National Resistance Army(NRA) rebels commanded by President Museveni.

The senior Presidential Advisor on special operations, Lt.Gen.Muhoozi Kainerugaba hailed the deceased as a great soldier that the UPDF will always miss.

“It is very sad to hear about the passing of a great soldier and a good friend, General Kasirye Ggwanga. We just spoke weeks ago and he was in a jolly mood. Rest in peace General,” Lt. Gen. Kainerugaba posted on his twitter.

Maj. Gen. Paul Lokech described the deceased comrade as a good officer that the UPDF has lost.

“He was a good officer and well trained at the Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth in the USA,”Lokech said of his fellow Major General.

Kasirye Ggwanga also served as the LC5 chairman for Mubende District where he is hailed for mobilizing locals to participate in self-help projects.

Speaking about the death, the Minister for Information and National Guidance, Judith Nabakooba said as people of greater Mubende region, they have lost a great pillar to their development.

“He was a great army general and fighter but also a patriot that the people of Mubende have greatly lost. He was never self-centred. We shall greatly miss our hero,”Nabakooba said.

Driver will forever miss him

Yasin Kafuuma has been a driver for the retired UPDF Major General for the past seven years but can’t imagine life without him.

“He was my confidant whose death has struck me hard. Whenever we were moving, I kept on asking him why so many people love him but he only replied that he was well behaved,”Kafuuma said of the deceased.

“Whenever we moved, he always told me he was satisfied with what he had done for his country and that he wanted someone else to take on the baton.”

The driver described Kasirye Ggwanga who loved his dogs that they always moved alongside him in the vehicle wherever he went.

“When I took him to Mbuya(hospital), he said goodbye to his dogs.”

The army described the late Maj.Gen.Kasirye Ggwanga as a dear one whose death has struck them hard.

“We have lost our dear Maj.Gen.Kasirye Ggwanga .It is an unfortunate incident,”Lt.Col.Deo Akiiki, the deputy UPDF spokesperson said.

He said arrangements are currently underway to link up with the family to have a decent send off for the fallen UPDF general.

“At the moment, we are managing the process at the hospital and other military preparations will go on.”

https://nilepost.co.ug/2020/06/09/kasirye-ggwangas-gun-goes-silent-on-heroes-day/