The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
President Yoweri Museveni has been awarded Uganda’s highest military medal, the “Order of Katonga” as the country celebrated Heroes Day in Buikwe on Thursday.
Lt. Gen Elly Tumwine, the awards committee chairman, announced the award, citing Museveni’s role in the building of the National Resistance Army (NRA) and National Resistance Movement (NRM) that eventually won the Bush War to take over government in 1986. The medal is named after the decisive battle at Katonga river that broke the back of the UNLA forces.
The “Order of Katonga” medal has previously been awarded to former Tanzania president Julius Nyerere and Muamar Gaddafi of Libya. (SEE BOTTOM, NBS VIDEO: Museveni speech at Heroes Day)
The Katonga medal I got today, is not for me alone, it’s for those who pioneered this struggle, both dead and alive. pic.twitter.com/S35jYtIlLN
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) June 9, 2016
It is important that we remember our heroes because had they not sacrificed, we would not have this peace. pic.twitter.com/jjrBJenaJS
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) June 9, 2016
Salim Saleh, who was commander of the NRA’s deadly mobile forces during the war, and later became minister, received the second highest medal the “Kabalega Medal”. Saleh, who is also a brother to Museveni, got the award together with three others, Capt Rwaheru, James Karuhanga and Edidian Luttamaguzi, a civilian killed during the early days of the war for refusing to reveal where the rebels were hiding.
Others who got various medals included Elly Tumwiine, Aronda Nyakairima, Katumba Wamala, Moses Ali, Kahinda Otafiire, Ivan Koreta and Jeje Odongo. Heroes medals were due to be awarded to 650 military and civilians.
Dr Opiyo Oloya’s latest book Black Hawks Rising will be launched by H.E President Museveni tomorrow pic.twitter.com/e6Y4jxsh8I
— Paddy Ankunda (@defenceuganda) June 8, 2016
Earlier, two books on the role of the UPDF in Somalia and one on the role of the NRA, were launched by Museveni. The first was the “Black Hawks Rising” by Canada-based teacher Opiyo Oloya, and the other “Achievements of the NRM” by Gen Elly Tumwine and Gilbert Gumoshabe.
NBS VIDEO: Museveni speech at Heroes Day
Applause to both president museveni and saleh, both deserve credit on that regard, special applause for saleh is the one who did the donkey job, even my brother was in mobile waazi as it was reffered to during the bush lead by saleh. Kabalega-lega
am not happy they didnot fight alone,as brothers many people fought the war not only two men fought it .am not happy of the awards,why not to all others who fought in the war others in prison etc.it is all sadness