Maj Gen Kasirye Ggwanga died yesterday at Nakasero hospital where he was receiving treatment.
Before his death, he always caught the headlines with his iconic quotes.
We compile his most iconic quotes as quoted by different Newspapers including the New Vision, Daily Monitor and The Observer.
“But who is succeeding who? Whom did Gen. Museveni succeed? He came fighting! We were all fighting. I am 60 years old and we have seen it all!” … “Let me warn that boy (Brig. Muhoozi), not even to think of taking over Uganda. Uganda will take care of itself.”
“My life is dangerous; I joined the army in 1972 when I was just 20 years old. President Idi Amin posted me to West Nile. I was with [now retired] Brig Gen Mark Kodili Ayiasi and by far, we were the youngest.”
“If I tell you this young generation cannot take power today, I know what I am talking about. In our times we were not wild people, but today this generation is out of control and do not respect their elders, referring to us as analogue. Who can trust such a generation? I have known Bobi Wine (aka Robert Kyagulanyi) for some time now and we are friends. So when I tell you this boy cannot take on Uganda today, I know what I am talking about.”
“I can’t be arrested. Why would anyone arrest me? I do not owe anybody a shilling. I have no grudge with anybody.”
“The President, who is my Commander-in-Chief, directed that social distancing is a must if we are to fight this virus. I am sorry, but I had to use the cane. Let me beat them today – they will thank me tomorrow when the virus is gone…..For God’s sake, why can’t people stay at home? Why should they gang up in trading centres and start playing ludo [a board game], or as if they are holding meetings….. The President ordered Ugandans to keep at least two to four meters away from each other. Let us joke about other diseases but not this deadly virus.”
“I fight people destroying the forests because these forests harboured us during the war. Besides that, natural wells and swamps are drying up and shortage of water is becoming one of the major problems in our region.”
“I do not stay with my grandchildren because most of them are not in the country. Besides, I am not ready for any noise. Children are quite disturbing and naughty… My family here are the two dogs. They give me good company.”
“We military men don’t get married. We just make children and we don’t expose our women like you wananchi. [He becomes so emotional and pauses for about 20 minutes, looking on the verge of tears] I got my first wife while still serving in Amin’s army. She died. The second one I got her during the [1979] war…she didn’t survive it. I got another one after but, unfortunately, she also died. The one I have now is in the USA. I’ve lost three women. After what I’ve been through, I can’t allow anyone to mess with my wife.”
“You are the young ones we have made and you are asking President Museveni to leave power. I still remember how the country was when we took over power in 1986.”
“I don’t talk about African promotions. They are not professional promotions. I just leave them….Merit comes from what you do in the army. So find out from all those who have been promoted so far, what have they done for the army. It is a simple task. It is not for me to explain.”
