“People mock us,” she says. “They say how can someone who fought in the liberation struggle still suffer like this?”
In the quiet village of Nakiswiga in Nawampiti sub-county, Luuka District, 72-year-old bush war veteran Jonathan Isanga Mugeere lives in a small, mud-walled house — a far cry from the modern home he says was promised to him nearly four decades ago.
Mugeere, who fought against the rebels of Alice Lakwena in the Busoga region, is now appealing directly to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to fulfill pledges he claims were made to him and 11 others when the current government captured power in 1986.
According to Mugeere, the President promised the group modern houses, land, motor vehicles, and other income-generating ventures as a reward for their role in the liberation struggle. But today, he says, those promises remain unfulfilled.
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“I have followed up this matter for many years, but in vain,” Mugeere says, holding onto a worn file of documents he believes prove his case.
Among the papers is a letter dated May 3, 2010, from the Principal Private Secretary to the President, addressed to Lt. Gen. Proscovia Nalweyiso, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Defence and Security. The letter reportedly sought verification of Mugeere’s claims before recommending appropriate action. He also possesses registration documents showing his enrollment as a beneficiary under the Alice Lakwena victims’ program.
Despite being referred to Nalweyiso’s office, Mugeere says he has never received assistance. “Whenever I tried to follow up, she was always busy on official duties,” he recounts. Eventually, he says, he gave up — as did some of the other alleged beneficiaries, including his father, Ismeal Ngobi, who has since passed away without receiving the promised support.
Now battling diabetes and advancing age, Mugeere faces mounting challenges. He shares the cramped house with his large family and says he failed to complete construction of a modest three-bedroom home due to lack of funds. With no income-generating venture to rely on, he struggles to afford medical treatment.
His wife, Fidah Namunana, says the family’s hardship has become a source of ridicule within the community.
“People mock us,” she says. “They say how can someone who fought in the liberation struggle still suffer like this?”
The couple’s daughter, Dezilanta Namukaya, was forced to drop out of school in Senior One due to lack of school fees. Fighting back tears, Namukaya describes her frustration at seeing her education cut short.
“My future feels doomed,” she says, appealing to well-wishers and sympathizers to help her return to school.
Mugeere says he has sought help from various Resident District Commissioners posted in Luuka district over the years, including Michael Kibwiika, but without success. Efforts to obtain a comment from Lt. Gen. Nalweyiso and other relevant authorities were unsuccessful by press time.
As the years pass, the veteran’s plea grows more urgent. Having once taken up arms in the hope of securing a better future for his country and family, Jonathan Isanga Mugeere now waits — hoping that the promises of 1986 will not be forgotten.
