Another commander of the rebel group that brought Museveni to power passes away
Death has yet again claimed the life of another gallant soldier, Lt Col (rtd) Ahmed Kashillingi, who participated in the five-year guerrilla war that brought the current regime to power in 1986.
The family and friends of Kashillingi (RO/0040) pronounced his death Thursday morning.
Maj Gen (rtd) Jim Muhwezi, who fought with Kashillingi in the guerrilla war, said the deceased was a brave and dedicated soldier who served his country until now when he has gone be with his creator.
According to available information, Kashillingi was born in Rukungiri district where he joined Kigezi College Butobere in 1967.
After secondary school, Kashillingi joined the army during the Idi Amin era. But when Amin fell in 1979, he fell out with the subsequent governments.
After many years of altercations with the governments that followed, Kashillingi teamed up with Yoweri Museveni and the National Resistance Army (NRA) in the Luwero bush war.
According to a report by ChimpReports, a local online news publication, Kashillingi is most remembered for having commanded the 5th battalion which captured the Katonga bridge on Masaka – Mbarara road. After the war, Kashillingi was appointed as director of army records by Museveni. He was decorated with the rank of Lt Col when the NRA commissioned formal ranks.
His relationship with the government turned sour when Kashillingi was accused of treason in 1990 and Museveni ordered his arrest. He fled before being captured and ran into exile in Zaire, present-day DR Congo.
In i1991, Kashillingi was kidnapped in DR Congo and brought back to Uganda and was charged with treason. He was acquitted in February 1995.
With a strained relationship with the establishment, Kashillingi lived a low life until his official retirement and eventual death today at the age of 82 years.
His family has said the former rebel leader and the commander will be buried in Kebisoni in Rukungiri district on Saturday, 4th November 2022.
