President Museveni has described the late Jack Maumbe Mukhwana as a nationalist and freedom fighter of the National Resistance Army (NRA).
Mr Museveni was speaking at the burial of the late Maumbe at his home in Mabanga village in Bungokho Sub-county in Mbale District on Saturday.
Maumbe was accorded a state burial with full military honours. While addressing the mourners, President Museveni said Maumbe made a positive contribution to Uganda especially during the National Resistance Army protracted liberation struggle.
Mr Museveni said he couldn’t miss Maumbe’s burial for anything else because of the history they made together. He disclosed to the mourners that he linked up with Maumbe because of his good ideological ideas in 1967 but went separate ways later because of the differences they had pertaining to the armed struggle.
He explained that before their separation, they were nearly killed by Iddi Amin’s troops who attacked them in Maumbe’s home in Malukhu Estate, house number 49 in Mbale Town.
He disclosed that Beth Maumbe, the widow of the late Maumbe witnessed the gunfire exchange, which claimed the lives of two people from each side.
Mr Museveni saluted the widow for not only taking care of her family but for having remained stable during that time.
He reiterated that, regardless of their differences, they formed the Uganda Patriotic Movement with Maumbe Mukhwana in 1979.
The president pledged to construct Maumbe’s house in Busiu and also consider their proposal to construct a technical school in Bungokho South in his memory in addition to supporting his family.
Maumbe was among the first recruits into the Front for National Salvation (Fronasa), a rebel group started by Mr Museveni in the early 1970s to fight the Idi Amin’s government.
He was also a Member in the National Consultative Council (NCC) and a Deputy Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
Maumbe also served as Deputy Information Minister in the Obote II government, Bungokho County Member of Parliament and later Kumi and Pallisa Resident District Commissioner. He is survived by a widow, Beth Maumbe, four children and nine grandchildren.
©Alleastafrica and Daily Monitor
