MACODWOGO WAS A PATRIOT AND GOOD SOLDIER
- H.E GEN MUSEVENI HAILS LANGO’S FALLEN HERO.
Museveni apologises to
Engola’s family and directs UPDF to reconcile with the family.
President Yoweri Kaguta
Museveni has hailed the late Rtd. Col Charles Patrick Okello-Engola Macodwogo
for pacifying Northern Uganda by rejecting negative divergent ideas of the
political elite class from the North who were saying the NRA/NRM government had
overthrown the government of the Acholis in 1986.
“He was a patriot. He
didn’t listen to those saying NRA had overthrown the government of the
Acholis,” H.E Museveni noted, saying he first saw Macodwogo in 1986 when he was
manning a 14.5 mm machine gun.
Gen Museveni who was on
Wednesday speaking at a funeral service to honor the former State Minister for
Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, Rtd. Col Charles Patrick
Okello-Engola held at Kololo ceremonial grounds described the late as a good
and courageous soldier who finished off the rebels in the North to enable peace
and development that earned him a name Macodwogo meaning “fire has returned”.
The President explained
that Col. Engola fought effectively against the Lord Resistance Army (LRA)
rebels and people were able to go back and cook and have a normal life without
being scared of the enemy.
Retired Col Engola was
shot on Tuesday 2nd May 2023 by one of his guards- army Private Wilson Sabiiti,
while he prepared to go to work. Sabiiti later turned the gun on himself at a
nearby salon.
President Museveni told
the mourners that Okello-Engola had nothing to do with the cause of his death,
saying, “It must be a problem somewhere else.”
He added that the Chief
of Defense Forces has already constituted a board of inquiry headed by
Brigadier Rugumayo to establish the cause of the shooting.
“So definitely we’re
going to get a report,” Gen Museveni said, who was in company of the First Lady
Mama Janet Museveni.
The President expressed
dismay that some Members of the political class and even members of the Uganda
People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have started departing from the NRA/NRM line. He
said their ideology, strategy and work method was voluntarism, patriotism and
sacrifice although some people started talking about premature issues such as
big salaries and other benefits.
The President advised
that they should return to the original doctrine of the NRM.
“So, those people who
have been pushing that line, need to realize their mistakes,” H.E Museveni
said.
He gave an example of
the former President of Uganda Idi Amin who paid high salaries to public
servants and soldiers and when the war came, they couldn’t fight.
“If you make the
salaries of each soldier so high, how will you get manpower to defend the
country,” Gen Museveni said, adding that Uganda cannot afford high salaries.
The President further
called upon the political class to go back to the NRA line of sacrifice to
avoid embarrassment like the killing of Col. Engola describing the nature of
his demise as an embarrassment.
“This is a very big
embarrassment from the army that somebody deployed to guard a useful cadre
ended up killing him. This is terrible.
The army will have to sort out its internal problems,” H.E Museveni further
said.
The President also
apologised to the family of the late Engola, the people of Lango, Uganda and
Africa at large and assured that those involved will be crushed.
“It’s unfortunate that
this wonderful cadre ended up being killed by a bad product produced by our own
system,” Gen. Museveni said, adding that the army will have to discuss with the
family to reconcile for the unfortunate incident.
“And it does not have to
be seven (7) cows. Yes, you have forgiven us, but it should be with conditions
because it may bring about impunity,” H.E Museveni said.
Mrs. Joyce Engola the
wife to the deceased described the death of her husband as the darkest part of
her life but thanked God for having prepared her to face it having fasted for
21 days prior to his death not knowing what was meant to happen to her. She
expressed gratitude to President Museveni for all the support and according to
her husband an official burial.
“It has given me
strength, courage and hope,” Mrs. Engola said.
Mr. Samuel Engola
Junior, the eldest son of the deceased described their father as a great
warrior, politician, farmer and a very enterprising person who implemented
President Museveni’s wealth creation gospel in the region with passion.
Engola Junior told
mourners that their father taught them to forgive and for that matter the
family of Private Sabiiti who killed their father has been forgiven so that
they can find some rest.
“Our father told us that
whenever someone wrongs you, that’s a debt for God to handle and just forgive,”
he said.
He noted that his father
was a very generous man and by the time of his death he had 21 dependants some
of which have completed education in various disciplines including one PhD
holder, Master’s degree holders and others with Bachelor’s degrees, diplomas
and certificates.
Mr. Sam Engola, the
brother to the deceased, described as unbelievable that his brother had 28
bullets on him upon his death having fought all the wars that liberated this
country. He said they don’t want any compensation from the family of Sabiiti.
He further thanked
President Museveni for all the assistance and love for Okello family and for
according to him an official burial.
The Minister for Gender
Labour and Social Development, Hon. Amongi Betty Ongom told the mourners that
Charles Engola will remain one of the pillars of Lango and described his death
as a painful one.
Minister Amongi called
upon the people of Oyam and Lango as a whole not to demand compensation from
the family of Private Sabiiti who took the life of their son.
“The soldier who killed
the Minister was an employee of the state and the gun was given to him by the
state to protect Col Engola,” Minister Amongi said.
She called upon those on
investigations to do a thorough job to establish what prompted Private Sabiiti
to kill the person he was meant to protect.
The Bishop of Lango
Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Assoc Prof Alfred Olwa who led the service hailed the
late Engola as a hardworking Christian who utilized his time on earth by
balancing his spiritual life and the life of work.
Bishop Olwa said Col.
Engola understood the words of St Paul: “If a man will not work, he shall not
eat,” and that he spearheaded wealth creation in Lango by engaging in large
scale commercial farming.
“We cannot simply name
and claim what we have not worked for. Our God is a working God. We must work
hard like Hon. Macodwogo because we serve a working God. Col. Engola always
worked hard and diligently wherever his assignment was,” the Bishop said.
Kenya’s Cabinet
secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Hon Florence Bore
expressed her sympathy to the family of Engola and the entire country for the
loss of the minister with whom before his death they worked closely as sister
Labour Ministries.
She thanked President
Museveni for mentoring their President William Samoei Ruto, saying it became
easy for them as heads of Ministries to work together.
“It was easy for us to
bond because you Presidents are friends,” she said.
The ceremony was
attended by Ministers, Members of Parliament, Senior UPDF officers, the former
Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda among others.
Engola’s body will on
Thursday depart for Oyam District where a council sitting will be held in his
honor and thereafter, it will be taken to the deceased’s home in Awangi
Village, Iceme Sub-county in Oyam District on Friday and laid to rest on
Saturday.
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