Yoweri Museveni as a rebel was going by the pseudonym ‘Mzee Kassam’ @ma3route

The former head of the Presidential Press Service in Kenya, Lee Njiru, gives a rare glimpse by an insider of happenings that led to Museveni becoming the president of Uganda.

In early 1980s, President Moi introduced me to a tough Ugandan revolutionary, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. By that time, this Ugandan rebel was going by the pseudonym ‘Mzee Kassam’. His young brother Caleb Akwandwanaho was using the fictitious name Salim Saleh. 

President Moi told me to respect Museveni, whom he said was the future President of Uganda. When Museveni was leading a guerilla movement against the governments of Milton Obote and Tito Okello, my upstairs office in State House, Nairobi was many times his command post. It was here that he used to telephone and give instructions to Salim Saleh, who was one of the leaders of the National Resistance Army (NRA).

Whenever Museveni came to my office, I would ask him whether he needed tea. He would then remind me that he needed food.

“I’m a guerrilla and a guerrilla eats food whenever it is available,” he would say.

He reminded me that as a bush fighter he might be surrounded by an enemy and not have access to food for several days until he gets a corridor of escape.

During the 1985 Uganda peace talks in Nairobi, I was introduced to many leaders representing the NRA of Yoweri Museveni and the Uganda Government led by General Tito Okello. I forged friendship with many NRA luminaries such as Eriya Kategaya, Ruhakana Rugunda and Elly Tumwine. I also made friends with Olara Otunnu and Brig Gad Toko from the government side. 

Eriya Kategaya rose to be First Deputy Prime Minister, Ruhakana Rugunda Prime Minister, and Elly Tumwine Army Commander.

In meetings, President Museveni used to point at me and tell Mzee Moi: “You have been with this man for a very long time!”

Moi would reply, “A long time indeed.”

One of these days I will look for a way to meet President Museveni and tell him that I am not ‘this man’. If he forgot my name because of the exigencies of duty, then I will remind him.