Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba Emotionally Narrates How The Late Kakwano Saved His Life And His Sisters , Sneaked Them Into Nairobi

The Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has paid a special tribute to Ernest Kakwano, saying the departed National Resistance Army (NRA) guerrilla saved his life.

Kakwano, who also served as Managing Director of Coffee Marketing Board, passed away on Easter Sunday at the age of 80 after an operation at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala.

Muhoozi, who spoke at a church service in Entebbe to celebrate Kakwano’s life, said it was around 4th April 1981 when he was  woken up very early in the morning by a one Andrew Kavuma.

“Andrew was living with us in Kololo. So, one day he woke up Natasha and I and told us that we are going back to school,” said Muhoozi on Thursday morning.

At the time, Yoweri Museveni had gone to the bush to fight President Milton Obote’s government. It was very dangerous for Museveni’s children to stay in Uganda.

Kavuma told Muhoozi and Natasha: “It is time, you are getting ready to go back to school. So, you have to be ready.”At that time, Muhoozi had been enrolled at Kabale preparatory School.

“It used to be soldiers to take us to school – Toko and Agaba. I was expecting them to be the ones to take us to school. We came downstairs and found Mrs Alice Kakwano. We were confused.”Clandestine operations.

At the time, Ernest was a top clandestine operator of the NRA’s External Wing operating from Kenya.Ernest had worked closely with his wife Alice and Janet Museveni to sneak Muhoozi and Natasha from Uganda to Kenya.  Ernest was operating from Nairobi with the likes of Mathew Rukikaire.

Journey begins

Alice told Muhoozi and Natasha: “I am the one to take you to school.”“We entered the car and drove for a long distance,” recalled Muhoozi, adding, “Along the long route, I said, ‘This is not the road to my school.’”

Alice responded: “No, we are going to a new school. Didn’t your parents tell you that you were changing school?”

Alice drove up to the Uganda-Kenya border.“When we got close to the border, Alice stopped the car and said, ‘Now we are going to an office, if they ask you who you are, say, ‘you are my children.’” 

In the car, Muhoozi and Natasha asked, “Shouldn’t we talk about daddy at all?”

Realising such remarks would land the entire team in danger, Alice responded: “No, no. Just say, you are my children.”

Indeed, a customs official asked the kids who they were and responded as guided by Alice.“The customs official let us through and we drove to Nairobi. That was my first time seeing Mzee Ernest Kakwano,” Muhoozi recalled.

“We stayed at Hilton Hotel with Mzee Kakwano for a number of days and later on linked with Maama Janet who came with Patience and Diana,” he added.“It is unfortunate I have not been able to meet him personally recently. We have a debt to you and want to thank you so much for what you did for us. May the memory of Kakwano continue to inspire us and may he rest in peace.”

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa also hailed Kakwano for raising a very wonderful family.

“He has served this country in different capacities with distinction,” said Kutesa, who studied with Kakwano at Mbarara High School.At the church service, Rukikaire eulogised Kakwano as the ‘unknown soldier’.

“Kakwano was humble, unassuming and helped so many people,” said Rukikaire, emphasising, “We worked together when I was chairman of the external committee of NRA. Kakwano undertook many missions I cannot repeat here. Some are known to Jotham Tumwesigye, John Nasasira and Hon Matia Kasaija.”

“He also undertook clandestine tasks – some of the assignments given to him by president Museveni. Among the tasks was to receive injured soldiers from the bush to treat and house them and recruit people to join the bush. Kakwano participated in the task of recruiting soldiers whom we sent to Libya and then the bush. He contributed very substantially to the struggle.”

Kakwano will be laid to rest this Friday in Rubaya, Kashari, western Uganda.