The nation is mourning the passing of Dr. James Makumbi who served in many capacities for the NRA/M regime as Minister of Health, Baale County MP and at the time of his death he was the UPDF chief of medical services.
Makumbi in his late 70s died in his sleep at his retirement home in Kayunga District on Monday.
The once Presidential advisor on health matters hit the headlines in 1995 when he was kidnapped by rebels led by UPDF renegade Maj. Herbert Itongwa on Gayaza Road near Kasangati.
Three years ago, Late Makumbi narrated his worst experience to Daily Monitor’s Henry Lubega.
TrumpetNews reproduces unedited version of Makumbi’s story.
On that fateful day in February 1995,I had been asked by a doctor friend of mine at the Doctor’s Club just opposite the golf course, to go and attend to his sick father in Magere, on Gayaza Road. I had first met Dr Mugera’s father when he was a patient at Mulago hospital ward 4B, which was my work station way before I became a minister.
Around 9pm after attending to her father, Dr Mugerwa asked me to drop her at her residence towards Gayaza after Kasangati with her nephew, a student at Makerere University.
At Kasangati, I saw a man aiming an RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) at us. I had no alternative but to stop, otherwise if he pulled the trigger, both the car and its occupants would be split to pieces. As I stopped, others jumped out of the bush and they pulled us out of the car. I did not have a bodyguard at the time since I knew where I was going was safe for me.
They approached the car and told me to get out, Itongwa happened to be somewhere nearby, because he was shouting to them, asking “Oyo gwemukute?” meaning “Is that the guy?” and they replied: “Neda, ono minister wa health.” (No, this is the minister of Health) “That is alright bring him” came the voice from the bush.
We were matched into the bush and kept walking until about 3am when we came to a thicket, which also doubled as one of the rebels’ camp. But along the way, I could hear some sounds like those of car engines. Beyond Kabanyolo, I didn’t know where we were being taken.
When we got to the camp, they told us to sit down until morning. The next day, the rebels brought a news reporter, who claimed to have been kidnapped and took our pictures in captivity.
What upset me was that in the morning, they went away with the walkie talkies they had stolen from the police to charge them at the trading centre.
I realised that they were using the same walkie talkies to monitor the police movements, thwarting their effort to rescue us. Whenever the police would suggest a location of search near where we were, they would move us.
They had also managed to convince the nearby villagers to support them, by cooking food for them and deliver it to the camp.
At around mid-day on the first day in captivity, Itongwa interrogated us one by one. He started with me. I had known Itongwa way back during the National Resistance Army (NRA) struggle.
He told me as far as he was concerned, he had started the struggle to overthrow the government I was working for and that made me an enemy. He gave me two options, either to join him or be executed since they did not have a prison where they could keep me.
Fortunately, there was no physical torture, besides the way they pulled us out of the car and being made to match for long hours in the bush. Psychologically, there was. Just the knowledge that you are being held by someone fighting the government you are working for is terrifying.
Besides, you wouldn’t know when someone smoking bhang would lose his mind. We also watched two people, who had been abducted before us being executed by shooting.
On the second day, military choppers flew over the forest in which we were being held. Itongwa ran away from the rest of us, but kept close.
That was the last day we saw him. We remained with his soldiers and the people carrying their luggage and relocated to another camp.
In what looked like a new camp, the helicopter flew above us, this time very low. Itongwa was not far from us, and one fellow went and asked him what to do with us.
On the morning of the third day, just before 4am, they told us to walk. We walked with them for almost an hour, until we reached a parked Land Rover waiting for us.
We boarded and rode in the car for about 15 minutes up to a swamp, and it stopped. Here they told us to get off and walk in a particular direction.
From where the rebels abandoned us, we could see Kawanda research station from a distance. We had come from the Bombo direction, we feared to walk on the main road, thinking the rebels might change their minds and come back for us.
We turned to a small village path. At around 5am, we met a man whom we asked to take us to the Local Council One chairperson.
Lucky enough, the LC I chairperson and I knew each other. When we entered his house, I asked him to alert the nearest police station, which was Kawempe Police Station in this case.
The police arrived at the LC chairman’s place at around 6.30am to pick us and took us to the station. They also alerted the then Prime Minister, Mr Kintu Musoke, who came to Kawempe Police Post.
He asked them to let Dr Mugerwa and her nephew go, and they drove me to his residency, where I had my first shower in three days and also borrowed his shirt. We were joined by then Internal Affairs minister Crispus Kiyonga.
I narrated to Dr Kiyonga the whole experience.
Those three days were the worst in my life. What I hated most was the way some journalists reported the story, portraying it as a joy ride. I found it very upsetting.