Kampala, Uganda: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Thursday officially welcomed back Col Samson Mande — a former National Resistance Army (NRA) Bush War hero turned critic — into the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) as Uganda celebrated her 63rd Independence Day at Kololo Independence Grounds.
Col Mande, who was living in exile in Sweden since 2001 after falling out with President Museveni, returned to Uganda recently and was today reintroduced to the nation by the President as a symbol of reconciliation and forgiveness.
“All the development that is happening in Uganda is on account of the peace that is available. This peace is lubricated by the longstanding NRM policy of reconciliation and forgiveness,” Museveni said in his speech adding, “I’m happy to welcome back into peaceful Uganda Col Samson Mande, who had fled into exile on account of internal intrigue. When our cadres contacted him in Sweden, he happily agreed to come back and disconnect himself from rebel activities.”
In a symbolic moment before thousands of cheering supporters, President Museveni invited the returning Bush War veteran to the podium to address the crowd.
Addressing the gathering, Col Mande, who once vehemently opposed the NRM government, declared that he had changed his stance and was back “home to stay.”
“I am back home. Here in Uganda, I have two homes — the first home is my country; the second home is the NRM. I am a founder member of the NRM. It is in me and will remain in me until death puts us asunder,” Mande said.
Quoting 1 Corinthians 13:11 to emphasize his transformation, he said: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”
The Bush war hero praised Museveni’s magnanimity, noting, “I know the magnanimity of our dear leader, President Yoweri Museveni, would accept my change of behaviour. Thank you very much. I’m home to stay.”
He said he returned to Uganda determined to contribute positively to the country’s development.
“I went when I was bitter, but now I’m better and loaded with solutions. I will not look in the past because I don’t live in the past tense. I’m looking forward to contributing to national development,” he said.
Col Mande’s Profile Bio?
Col Samson Mande, with UPDF service number RO 69, ranks among the earliest 100 NRA combatants who fought in the five-year Bush War that brought Museveni to power in 1986.
He commanded some of the NRA’s earliest units — including the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 9th Battalions — and led Task Force operations across Kyadondo, Matugga, Bombo, Masulita and Mukono. His forces later joined the late Brig Chefe Ali’s UNLF troops in 1984 to form the 11th Battalion, which captured several strategic areas during the Western Axis campaign.
By 1985, Mande had trained and equipped enough personnel to form the 15th Battalion — one of the elite units that led the NRA’s final push toward Kampala.
After the war, Col Mande was instrumental in authoring the Establishment document that structured the NRA into the current Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). However, he later fell out with the regime, was detained, and fled to Rwanda before settling in Sweden.
Ugandan intelligence later accused him of links to the People’s Redemption Army (PRA) rebel group and of helping opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye escape into exile in 2001.
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