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This is the second part of an account of the Mbarara Massacre. The first part was published on August 15 2008. You can find at our website.
A REVIEW OF THE GENOCIDE THAT WAS CALLED LIBERATION
THE SECOND TRIP, February 1989:
By the time we made the second trip, we had managed to publicize the plight of these unfortunate people, and obtained some financial assistance from the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) for them, which we delivered. We first made a stop over at Kyazanga where we were taken around Kakuuto primary school by the proprietor, sheikh Mbajja. This is a school for Muslim orphans.
It had a total of 150 orphans and out of those, 96 were children of the victims of the 1979 holocaust. They studied free of charge but they were completely helpless when it came to scholastic materials and clothing. They also did not have any form of bedding. MUMSA made some contributions towards their clothing from the funds provided by WAMY, but it was meagre compared to the need.
The following day Friday we continued to Itendero. After Juma prayers we talked to the Muslims and gave them words of solidarity. Among other points we encouraged and thanked them for insisting on upholding the banner of Islam in the area in spite of the wishes of their enemies. We were impressed to note that a new mosque had been erected at the site and would soon be ready for prayers.
We met the headmaster of Itendero Primary School, Mr. Ismail Senyonga and discussed general issues relating to the orphans. We were given a list of 44 orphans in the school. Of these, 16 were completely helpless and could neither afford the school fees nor the scholastic materials. The delegation cleared all their fees obligations for the year 1989 and made some contribution towards the scholastic needs of some of the pupils.
The following morning, we proceeded to Kiziba parish. Our mission here was two fold – to talk to the survivors of the event of 1979 massacres and get their personal, detailed testimonies, and to offer some official financial relief for the orphans in distress. We paid the fees of 32 orphans in Kiziba primary school, and for five students in secondary schools. We then proceeded to talk to the survivors of the massacre.
In all, we were able to talk to about 20 survivors. Apart from Mzee Hassan Hamutambo (81) who we had met earlier at Itendero, we met the rest of the home of Sheikh Abdul-Manaf Semakula. Each narrated to us a peculiar experience involving his/her personal survival, but their stories corroborated the general story given earlier.
The people interviewed included:
- Hassan Hamutambo; an old man of 81 years who lost a 34 year old son and only survived narrowly himself.
- Abdul Manaf Semakula; the deputy District Kadhi of Mbarara. He is the oldest man in the area. He refused to leave because he says if he left, others would leave and then the word of Allah would have died out in the area.
- Twalib Kasule; an elderly gentleman who suffered greatly during the massacre.
- Bashir Semakula Serujunge; a young man in his early 30's who jumped into the river before being hacked and swam to safety. He is credited with removing many of the dead bodies from the water and helping to prepare them for burial.
- Yudaya Baryanengwe; an old lady in her sixties. She was cut three times by Buchunku and then thrown into the water. She survived miraculously, through the intervention of non-Muslims who found her floating downstream but had no knowledge of how she had come to be there.
Other survivors included Asia Kishiki, Mayi Nabukalu, Habib Rutwinda, Mastula Segululigamba, Ishaq Magezi, Jalia Semwogerere, Hamid Semakula, Mrs. Kayinda, Mrs Muzamiru Kangave, Abdu Hakim Luyima, Kinani Mutyaba, Abasi Sebadda, Fati Nanyonga, Sulaiman Semakula, Hairat Nambi, Yunus Tumwenda, Abdallah Katende, Sulaituna Nanyonga and others.
(Some of these were interviewed in Kyazanga where they now live). The full texts of their personal testimonies are available in both MUMSA and Vicegerent office.
Of particular interest in these testimonies is the fact that these people know exactly who killed who as some of them were looking on when their friends, parents, children, wives and husbands were being hacked to death. Here below we present a list generated from our interviews of survivors, of the victims and the people who killed them or inflicted grievous injuries upon two who miraculously survived.
| No. |
Victim |
Killer |
Present State |
| 1 | Bumbakali Katongole | Byarutsya | In Prison, Kyamugolanyi |
| 2 | Mwajjuma Nakyaja | | " |
| 3 | Burhane Sentende | | " |
| 4 | Naziiru Nsamba | | " |
| 5 | Nuliat Mbabazi | Buchunku | " |
| 6 | Hariat Namakula | | " |
| 7 | Nuliat Kyokusaba | | " |
| 8 | Zaituni Namakula | | " |
| 9 | Rehma Nakachwa | | " |
| 10 | Abdallah Segululigamba | Machote | " |
| 11 | Hadijah Nasaka | | " |
| 12 | Kalijja Nanteza | | " |
| 13 | Madiya Nantende | | " |
| 14 | Saniya Nalubega | Kamugisha | " |
| 15 | Nashir Semwogerere | Ndeezi | Free at home, Nyakachembe |
| 16 | Umar Nsamba | | " |
| 17 | Asiati Nantende | | " |
| 18 | Afusa Nabatanzi | Mugyenyi | " |
| 19 | Abbasi Mugisha | | " |
| 20 | Haliima Kinaana | | " |
| 21 | Mariam Nabukalu | Rweizire | " |
| 22 | Muzinda Nsamba | | " |
| 23 | Aramanzane Serunjogi | | " |
| 24 | Idris Serunjogi | Ruboha | Free at home, Bunyangabo |
| 25 | Masitulla Nakato | | " |
| 26 | Muzapharu Kabuye | | " |
| 27 | Layusa Bakazibaguma | | " |
| 28 | Aidat Kenyana | Rufigi | Free at home, Kihunda |
| 29 | Abbas Kayinda | | " |
| 30 | Ismail sempa | | " |
| 31 | Hadija Nakayinda | | " |
| 32 | Ibrahim Kabuye | | " |
| 33 | Abdu Ishangabashaija | Rusasana | At home, Rwengando |
| 34 | Aisha Kalule | Kyanyabanda | " |
| 35 | Kamiida Nansamba | Matayo | Free at home, Nyakaoemba |
| 36 | Zuula Namakula | Tom Mayanja | Free at home, Byanyagonga |
| 37 | Tibanagwa | Kakyanga | Free at homa, Kihunda |
Mariam Nakitende and Yudaya Baryanengwe were brutally cut by Nsangeki and Buchunku respectively. Nsangeki died but Buchunku is still alive. The actual killers of the other victims are not specifically known; but it is known that in addition to the above list of murders, Mwesigye, Renshana are known to have participated in the killings.
The other information that the people of Kiziba hold as sacred were names of the people who still occupy the land they snatched from them 11 years ago in spite of the claim that a sane government had returned to Uganda.
Below is a list of the owners of pieces of land that are still illegally occupied:
| No. |
Land Owner |
Illegal occupant |
Location |
| 1 | Hajj M Serunjogi | Nsangeki's family | Nyakacemba |
| 2 | Dauda Serunjogi | Muheirwe | " |
| 3 | Hajat A. Nakayenga | Kashaija A | " |
| 4 | Kasule Kapere | Gibamanya | " |
| 5 | Mustapha Ddungu | Bachondooza | " |
| 6 | Zamuda Nabukalu | Ruhema T | " |
| 7 | Hajj K. Katende | Bakweta E | Kiziba |
| 8 | A. Mugooli | Mwesigye | " |
| 9 | A. Mugooli | Kishakiizi | " |
| 10 | Hajj A Katende | Rutendana P | Bunyagonga |
| 11 | A Katamba | Nkwitsi | Rwengamdo |
The Muslims of the area are aware that the Banyarwanda whose pieces of land were taken away during the Obote II regime (1980-85) were returned to them when the NRM government came to power in 1986, but theirs which were taken six years earlier have not.
They are also grieved by the fact that the known murderers of their people, 13 of whom appear in the list above, were free and had even taken leadership positions under the Local Resistance Council (RC) system. They have also heard that some senior officials in the NRM government were involved in attempts to free the four jailed killers.
THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION:
The NRM government set up the human rights commission; we thought this was a step in the right direction as it meant that the criminals of the past were to be brought to justice. But we are dissatisfied with this commission for several reasons:
There is no Muslim representation. It is not possible that matters of Muslim interests can be adequately handled without any one to speak up for them with some feeling that arises out of identification.
The only person that has been detained after appearing before the human rights commission is a Muslim, Jumba Masagazi.
The commission did not allocate enough time to listen to witnesses on the 1979 Muslim holocaust. They have given three times as much time to listen to witnesses on Ben Kiwanuka's death than they have to that over 64 Ugandans.
They have attempted to divert the attention of public from the killing of 64 Muslims to the death of two Muslims in Kajara by the Uganda police supposedly at the instruction of Abdul Obeid Kamulegeya, a prominent Muslim.
President Yoweri Museveni was implicated by the testimonies. We are not satisfied that he chosen to give his evidence in a closed session whereas this is an issue of interest to all Ugandans of good conscience.
Witnesses like Edward Rurangaranga whom even the president himself implicated as responsible for directing the murderers, has not been summoned to appear before the commission.
Murderers who have been unequivocally named to the commission still walk free. This continues to be an embarrassment to the commission and to the government.
WHAT DO WE WANT?
A senior NRM official has made an irritating comment in reference to those who blame the government for not bringing the 1979 killers to justice to the effect that: "we can not bring them back to life, can we?”" Of course he is right, they can not be brought back to life, and we are aware of this. So what do we want?
We are not irresponsible agitators seeking to re-open wounds of the past that are better forgotten. We are patriots who would like their country to start again on a road of meaningful peace.
As president Yoweri Museveni himself has said more than once, you can not have peace with out justice. We want justice. We would like all murderers to be apprehend and brought to trial. We have been to the area and talked to the people. All the orphans know who killed their parents. They talk of revenge twice a day, and constantly await their chance. If we satisfy them that there is another more civilized way of getting justice done, we might be able to avert another crisis in the area. Otherwise, we do no see the atmosphere clearing.
And if it comes to that, we do not think it is desirable for the crisis to clear from the atmosphere before it is positively addressed from above. The longer this is delayed, the closer we come to detonating the time bomb that is laid under the ideal of peace in this country.
For this reason, the murder of over 64 Muslims in Bushenyi can not become forgotten history. It is still a live issue that will affect the destiny of this nation, whether we like or not. If we choose to re-address the future. If we wish to push it prematurely into historical records, albeit often erroneously made, we shall have made no difference between us and those that came before us, in choosing to sign death rather than life warrants for our nation.
Part 3 "PERSONAL TESTIMONIES OF SURVIVORS" will be published soon
Readers Comments:
26 Aug 2008
1.
The Murder of Muslim Women and Children was a Crime Against Humanity and must be treated as such, PERIOD.
Dear RK Readers,
First let me make a confession. I am not a Muslim. Second, as an adolescent, I witnessed the cutting of banana plantations and saw the corpses of those massacred-off the road to Ngoma at a place near the road to the late Mzee Nkakaire's home. The corpses stayed unburied at this house for about a month in 1979.
Third there was a government in place and the power blockers included Yoweri Museveni who was the overall Commander of the Western Axis and Major Edward Rurangaranga.
Fourth, those devilish monsters who carried out the greasily massacre are known. They are not even animals for no animal dismembers a pregnant woman and hacks unarmed women to death simply because of their religion or even for any reason...
Fifth, the government in power then, and those that came into power since, like Obote II and Museveni's NRM have no interest in carrying out an inquest because of guilt and fear of confronting the truth. They are cowards and shameless and would prefer to have this crime against humanity remain buried under the guise of "let us not open old wounds".
Sixth, Idi Amin's government was bad News and some of the people he had used in his administration at local level were killers. I know of two prominent businessmen from Bumbaire sub-county, Igara County by the names of Rwankore and Katwiromunda whose corpses have never been seen and were murdered by Amin's soldiers traveling in a black Mercedes Benz car in which their victims were stuffed-up, via the victim's home in Bumbaire and later driven to an unknown dumping place. Though such acts were bad, they did not warrant the crime against humanity committed in Itendero after the 1979 Liberation War on women and children who never committed any crime and were never sentenced in a court of law.
Seventh, murderous regimes do not know tribes. The Baganda of Luwero, the Ateso, the Langis, Acholi, Lugbara, Karimajong etc� who have suffered the blunt of Amin's, Obote's and Museveni's repression and that of the rebels are no better off-than the over 1000 people that were murdered in Ankole in early 2000 and hidden in mass graves in Buziga, Kyenjojo, Bunyaruguru and Kanungu or the students and pupils burnt in Kicwamba or Buddo.
Eighth, the murderous regimes have one thing in common. They prefer cover-up of their greasily acts rather than open inquests. Unfortunately, human blood cannot be completely covered up, not forever.
The only way Museveni (who is the current Government and the government is de-facto him Museveni) can save himself is to have a Parliamentary inquest that is assisted by an independent panel of prominent religious people and elders from all over Uganda. This inquest should investigate and make recommendations on all, I repeat ALL the murders that have been committed over the last 40 years in Uganda.
Unfortunately, I konw Museveni. He is too cowardly to save himself and will ignore my advice. He believes a cover-up, cunning self extrications, rolling of eyes to frighten Ugandans, and abuse of raw power and ill-gotten wealth will save him for another day. He forgets we Ugandans are so forgiving, but of only the people that confess. Your Excellency the choice is yours. Either the grace of forgiving Ugandans and a merciful God, or eternal damnation like may have happened to your fellow murderous predecessors.
Sincerely,
Rutanama na Bigomba
2.
Hallo Editor Radio Katwe. I have read "The Mbarara Massacre: Part 1 and II" and wondered why you captioned in as Mbarara not Bushenyi because Kiziba and Itendero are in Bushenyi district.
However, my comments dont wash away the fact that innocent Ugandans died at Kiziba.
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