Gen Ggwanga to return to politics after retiring from army

By Lawrence Kazooba

Kasirye Ggwanga has vowed to return to politics, come 2021.

Ggwanga who was retired this year at the rank of major general, revealed his plans to Watchdog Uganda journalists who had visited him on his Camp David farm in Banda Kyandaaza, Nakisunga Sub-county in Mukono district.

“I am coming back,” the frail general, said.

Gen. Ggwanga served as chairman Mubende district between 1996 to 2001. Mubende has since got offshoots of Mityana and Kasanda district.

This has not pleased the general because revenue from tax collections cannot be meaningful which means the district has not registered any progress since he left it.

Instead, the 65-year-old general said, more conflicts in the district were creeping up and no one was stepping in to resolve them.

Mubende district is one of the hotspots for land conflicts in Uganda, as seen in Justice Catherine Bamugemereire-led land commission. There are lots of conflicts between landlords and squatters, which often times have turned bloody.

Also, the district has many tribes and one of his achievements was uniting these people, including Banyoro, Bakiga, Banyarwanda and Baganda among others.

“Since the President released me from the military, I want to help him handle Mubende problems including the unresolved land conflicts.

Gen. Ggwanga also says civil servants at districts were not giving value for money to the payer and leaders lacked creativity to solve challenges pressing people.

“I am returning to offer leadership once again,” he said.

Ggwanga is reknown for his no nonsense approach to issues. He is passionate about agriculture, owning among others a 200-acre farm where he grows bananas, vanilla, cassava, beans, etc. He says his farm in Banda is a model farm which he wants to use to take Ugandans back to the basics.

“I cannot sit around when Mubende and Uganda are deteriorating,” he said.