Maj Gen Kasirye Ggwanga dies
Tuesday June 9 2020
Gen Kasirye Gwanga in jovial mood during an interview at his farm in Mityana last year. PHOTO BY PHIONAH NASSANGA
By Monitor Reporter
Rtd Maj Gen Kasirye Ggwanga on Tuesday morning breathed his last at Nakasero Hospital where he had been admitted a few weeks ago.
Born in Mubende District in 1952, Gen Ggwanga served in the army for 47 years. He retired in 2018 to farming. His life had mostly been characterised by controversies with allegations of shooting at people during brawls on various occasions.
Army days
Gen Kasirye Ggwanga in an interview with Daily Monitor last year spoke of his days in the army with pride.
Gen Kasirye Ggwanga in an interview with Daily Monitor last year spoke of his days in the army with pride.
“My life is dangerous; I joined the army in 1972 when I was just 20 years old. The then president Idi Amin Dada posted me in the West Nile. I was with Brigadier Gen Mark Kodili Ayiasi and by far, we were the youngest. In 1979 I was arrested in Tanzania,” he said.
“Gen Kodili is one of the few honest and professional army officers I have worked with. No wonder he is a Sandhurst-trained army officer,” he added.
Discovering Kasirye Gwanga, the man who fears nothing
Sunday March 18 2012
L-R: Col. Sam Wasswa, Lt.Col Kasirye Gwanga and Col. Peter Kerim pictured at Namukora, the burial place of Gen Tito Okello in 1996.
Kasirye Gwanga! Make mention of the name and you will be sure to get a wealth of descriptions about the beholder. Arrogant, proud, loose talker, down to earth, straightforward, brave and cantankerous….the list could go on and on. At the end of the day, it is a question of who is saying what about him and from what point of view. Thus is the world of the man whose domain I set out to explore.
The journey started with a one hour ride from Kampala to the remote Kisoga village in Mukono, a few kilometers away from Mukono town where his 200 acre farm lies. The place is so isolated that only a few wornout structures exist, the rest is his farm with livestock and fruits.
In the taxi, passengers stare at me in awe when I ask the conductor to drop me at Kasirye Gwanga’s place. The bodaboda rider who takes me to his farm wonders, “Naye gwe eyo empologoma mwogela ki naye?” meaning, “What do you talk about with that lion?” I only tell him I have a meeting and tickle him to tell me more about the “lion”. He goes into how one time Afande as he is popularly known, caned policemen.
“I wonder why people suffer with suicide; just go to his farm and before you know he has shot you, bodaboda men only go there when they are called by him,” he said. “Forget about Moses Golola (the kick boxer), Kasirye Gwanga is bad news, no nonsense!”
When he drops me at the entrance to the farm, he urges me not to take chances as anything can happen. I oblige and call Afande who asks one of the gate men to take me to our interview venue.
The middle aged man stares at me suspiciously. I tactfully manipulate him to tell me about his boss.
The middle aged man stares at me suspiciously. I tactfully manipulate him to tell me about his boss.
“Mama nyabo! Just go and find out yourself,” he says, making me push him to the wall to say something positive about him, “He is good, but changes colours. You work aware that there are slaps for you if you make mistakes.”