By Mulengera Reporters
Some of President Museveni’s well-kept NRA war secrets have been revealed for the first time. Credible sources have revealed to us something sharing former Kenya President Daniel Arap Moi’s hitherto unknown pivotal role to Museveni’s war.
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The Okellos’ coup detat, which ended the Obote II regime, took place on a Saturday. The following day was a Sunday when Moi, who had all along been lukewarm towards Museveni’s rebel NRA group, made critical decisions. On confirming that Obote, whom he used to respect as a fellow African statesman, was gone for good, Moi on Sunday rung one of Museveni’s key people in Nairobi. This was a one gentleman called Ernest Kakwano who was a businessman in Nairobi.
“This is President Moi and I’m calling to ask you to help me speak to Museveni. My people have said your family knows a lot about his movements,” Moi reportedly told Kakwano who was the treasurer for the Nairobi-based NRA/M external wing. Knowing how Moi wasn’t known to be among Museveni’s best political allies, Kakwano reportedly denied being very close to the rebel chief. He reportedly told Moi: “I can try although I’m not sure if I can succeed.”
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He thereafter rung Museveni’s wife, Janet Kataha. Kakwano had closely known the Musevenis because he was previously looking after their children in Nairobi and Museveni had given him his written will saying “you will implement it amongst my children in case I’m killed in the bush.” Janet, who years earlier had left Nairobi with her children after getting intelligence reports that then security minister Chris Rwakasisi and Gen David Oyite Ojok had connived with Kenyan security to come and round up all exiles in Kenya, was happy to hear from Kakwano after months of no communication from the Nairobi group.
“You want to speak to Yoweri? He is here,” she reportedly told Kakwano who informed Museveni that “president Moi has called me saying he wants to speak to you. Is it okay to give him your phone contact?” An excited Museveni told Kakwano: “it’s okay let him ring me.” Kakwano was hesitant fearing that the Kenyan security, whose mainstream had been always perceived to be in cohorts with Obote’s men, would use the phone contact to orchestrate mischief against Museveni. Kakwano never wanted to be held responsible in case something happened to Museveni. However, Museveni assured him it was okay adding that as a guerilla, he was always ready for anything. Moi reportedly rung on Monday and told Museveni Kenya was officially embracing him having seen that the Okellos, who had just toppled Obote, weren’t capable of doing anything good yet Kenya was interested in a stable neighbor.
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The Nairobi group, led mostly by Suleiman Kiggundu, Mathew Rukikaire, Amama Mbabazi, Abu Mayanja, Kaaya Kavuma and others, was subsequently informed by the Kenyan state House to prepare for Museveni who was flying into Kenya as a head of state in waiting. Indeed Museveni arrived amidst pomp even when the Okellos were to run the show in Uganda for the next seven months. Because he came using a different passport, the external wing members were asked to go to the airport to help the Kenyan security identify him and have him cleared by immigration authorities. He was straight away driven to a posh hotel where Moi had ordered they book him as a VIP guest for the Kenyan state.
NAKURU MEET
The following day, Museveni was rung by Moi who asked him to bring along a few trusted aides and senior members of the NRM/A external wing. These were driven, along with Museveni, in a presidential convoy all the way to Moi’s country/farm house in Nakuru. On arrival, Moi came in gumboots and greeted Museveni and his entourage.
The Kenyan big man had been busy checking on his cows the way Museveni does at both Rwakitura and Kisozi. Moi demanded that Museveni introduces his officials which the NRA rebel leader (evidence he still didn’t fully trust the Kenyan security) declined. “Mzee I respect you but I can’t do that because we are still rebels who are supposed to live under comoflouge,” Museveni reportedly told President Moi who said “okay you will trust us with time.”
Claiming he was aware how the Obote political turmoil was costing Uganda in brain drain, Moi then sent for one of his best aides but it turned out some of Museveni’s men knew this man, having studied with him at Makerere in the 1970s. Moi then told Museveni to feel at home saying he wanted members to have a good meal he had prepared specifically for them. As they had the meal, Museveni signaled his men to talk less and instead listen more to President Moi.
After the meal, Moi ushered them to another room where they had serious discussions on the future of the two countries and East Africa without founding fathers like Obote. He assured them that, despite not personally being very close to him, he had researched and knew Museveni’s track record pretty well since the anti-Amin war. “I know its young men like yourself who are going to work out a good future for East Africa,” Moi told Museveni whom the highly capitalistic Kenyan establishment had always despised thinking he was a communist.
He even assured Museveni of Kenya’s readiness to help lure the Okellos into talks to enable NRA buy time to militarily and politically consolidate itself before finally matching onto Kampala. Indeed Moi rang the Okellos inviting them for talks with Museveni’s NRA in Nairobi. It was during these talks that NRA, which was several miles away from Kampala, consolidated and eventually pushed out the Okellos.
Our sources say that at the end of the Nakuru talks, Moi told Museveni he was free to live in Kenya for the rest of the time until the final take over was effected. As the delegation prepared to leave, Moi sent his aides to bring three sacks full of dollars which the NRA/M external wing members carried with them as they left Moi’s farm in Nakuru. He assured them this was his personal money and this was strictly an informal secretive meeting he was having with them. NRA used part of this dime to boost its logistical capabilities and from then on, the war moved much faster. Sources close to that history add that this secret meeting partly explains why Obote, some of whose handlers had initially considered Kenya as his exile home, changed his mind and left for Lusaka Zambia where he lived until he died in October 2005.(For comments on this story, call, text or whatsapp us on 0705579994 [whatsapp line], 0779411734, 0200900416 or email us atmulengera2040@gmail.com).