KAMPALA — Maverick and always controversial, Maj. Gen. Kasirye Ggwanga who died today, Tuesday June 9, 2020 on Heroes Day was no stranger to controversy.
He always caught the headlines with his iconic quotes.
Here’s 10 top quotes from the controversial military man:
1- “But who is succeeding who? Whom did Gen. Museveni succeed? He came fighting! We were all fighting. I am 60 years old and we have seen it all!” … “Let me warn that boy (Brig. Muhoozi), not even to think of taking over Uganda. Uganda will take care of itself.”
— Daily Monitor, May 2, 2013.
2. “If I tell you this young generation cannot take power today, I know what I am talking about. In our times we were not wild people, but today this generation is out of control and do not respect their elders, referring to us as analogue. Who can trust such a generation? I have known Bobi Wine (aka Robert Kyagulanyi) for some time now and we are friends. So when I tell you this boy cannot take on Uganda today, I know what I am talking about.” — Daily Monitor October, 27 2019
3. “I do not stay with my grandchildren because most of them are not in the country. Besides, I am not ready for any noise. Children are quite disturbing and as far as I remember I did not grow up with my grandparents. All I ever did was to pay them a visit. Children are naughty, at one time I was watching TV and my grandchild decided to switch to some other channel she wanted, I was forced to beat her up, but it was like I had committed a big offence. It is better I let them stay with their parents….My family here is the two dogs. They give me good company,” — Daily Monitor October 27, 2019.
4. “The President, who is my Commander-in-Chief, directed that social distancing is a must if we are to fight this virus. I am sorry, but I had to use the cane. Let me beat them today – they will thank me tomorrow when the virus is gone…..For God’s sake, why can’t people stay at home? Why should they gang up in trading centres and start playing ludo [a board game], or as if they are holding meetings….. The President ordered Ugandans to keep at least two to four meters away from each other. Let us joke about other diseases but not this deadly virus — New Vision March 30, 2020.
5. “You cannot arrest a military general (Gen. Henry Tumukunde) like a dog. When you arrest a general like that you are embarrassing fellow generals and the entire army — New Vision, March 15, 2020.
6. “This is my house, but being a news reporter I know my house is going to be your major area of interest. I can build a better house in the city, but what for. This is simple but it contains everything Kampala Serena Hotel can have. It has full time DSTV, I watch BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera and can communicate with whoever I want a round the world. My life is my life, I am writing a book so I am not going to tell you a lot. I want you to ask me about your present political situation.’ —— Daily Monitor October 27, 2019.
7. No. I don’t talk about African promotions. They are not professional promotions. I just leave them….Merit comes from what you do in the army. So find out from all those who have been promoted so far, what have they done for the army. It is a simple task. It is not for me to explain – The Observer, February 6, 2013.
8. ‘I wouldn’t know. Colonel [Kizza] Besigye… when I first met him I was not impressed. First of all he is tribalistic. In the army you are not supposed to be tribalistic. I worked with him so I know.
For Mugisha Muntu he worked as army commander for 10 years. There was a war [in Northern Uganda] and he was taking care of that war… he worked. He is a great guy —— Observer, February 6, 2013.
9 “In normal circumstances our country’s economy is bad but when you hear other government officers who did not shed blood stealing billions of shillings and remain untouched, you cannot get content with just millions…I joined the army during Idi Amin’s time [in the 1970s] and for 46 years when you talk of Shs 600m as you claim, it is just peanuts, I will ask for more.” The Observer, March 7, 2019.
10. ”We military men don’t get married. We just make children and we don’t expose our women like you wananchi. [He becomes so emotional and pauses for about 20 minutes, looking on the verge of tears] I got my first wife while still serving in Amin’s army. She died. The second one I got her during the [1979] war…she didn’t survive it. I got another one after but, unfortunately, she also died. The one I have now is in the USA. I’ve lost three women. After what I’ve been through, I can’t allow anyone to mess with my wife— The Observer, March 7, 2019
