Enough is enough, says Col. Ogole
By Our Staff Writer – 19th-25th July 2010
Uganda Correspondent this week publishes the final and perhaps most emotionally charged part of its exclusive interview series with Col. John Charles Ogole; Museveni’s arch enemy in the Luwero Triangle war.In the last five weeks, Ogole has revealed hitherto unknown things about himself and about the 1981-86 Luwero war that he partly commanded as part of President Milton Obote’s fight against Museveni’s then NRA rebels.
He told Uganda Correspondent readers, and indeed all Ugandans, why he remained silent about Ugandan politics for nearly 25years; he told Ugandans that he will “either fight or shake hands with Museveni”; he asked Ugandans to ask themselves “who the real butcher of Luwero is” now that he has given his side of the story; he complained bitterly about what he thinks was Museveni’s “vicious propaganda campaign” against him; and now, in this, his final interview with Uganda Correspondent, he says “enough is enough, Ugandans are now craving for and in fact deserve real change”.
The ruling NRM government, speaking through its Spokesperson Mr. Ofwono Opondo, also hit back at Ogole’s claims as said, “…the Ogoles’ merely want to rationalise their extremes in Luwero Triangle to the presence of NRA. They keep quite [about] why they [UPC and UNLA] behaved in exactly if not worse ways in others parts of Uganda like Jinja, Kampala, Tororo, Kabarole, Mbarara, Masaka, and Bushenyi where there was no war, and no NRA”.
In this final interview, Ogole however insists that Ugandans are paying for their own harassment by Museveni’s regime. “…you are paying for the bullets and teargas that will be used to stop you from demanding for your inalienable right to free speech, rights of assembly and association, as well as the most important right of all, which is your right to live under a democratic government freely chosen by you”; he says.
He then goes on to establish what he thinks are “direct links” between the many crippling problems ordinary Ugandans are facing today and what he calls “Museveni’s dictatorship”. As if to mobilise national support against Museveni’s NRM government at the next general elections, Ogole also seemed to be talking directly to Ugandans as individuals. “…I say join other Ugandans in saying enough is enough”; he repeatedly said in this interview.
When Uganda Correspondent asked him for his very last word, Ogole said “…Uganda needs political redemption now and that can only happen with a complete overhaul of the entire socio-political and legal system forced down our throats by Gen. Museveni. He is the biggest stumbling block to Uganda’s forward march into the future; a future where freedom reigns supreme; a future where opportunities and equal opportunities exist for every single Ugandan regardless of their tribe, religion, or political leaning”.
Read this final and perhaps most explosive interview with Col. John Ogole titled “The Ogole series: The final interview” under our “National” news section.
