President Yoweri Museveni has shared information about his visit to the western regional town of Isingiro where he said he met a 91-year old friend who “offered me sanctuary” from former dictator Idi Amin in the late 1970s.
On Wednesday, he tweeted: “Visited my friend Maria Mutahangarwa, 91, in Isingiro. She offered me sanctuary from Idi Amin and Milton Obote soldiers during the liberation struggle.”
“She helped me whenever I was crossing into or coming from Tanzania. I am glad the good Lord continues to bless her with good health,” he continued.
“I also met FRONASA veterans at Kikagate Primary School. We recruited 200 fighters here in December 1978 and had grown to 9,000 when Idi Amin fell in 1979. The struggle laid a firm foundation for Uganda and I am grateful to those who joined us. With stability assured, Uganda is now focused on development.”
He also asked people who have encroached on forest reserves and river banks to move out promising government support to resettle them.
An irrigation scheme is also expected to help boost crop production in the town, he said.
“Isingiro will get an irrigation scheme and piped water from River Kagera. Plant drought-resistant crops like cassava, millet and Irish potatoes.”
Isingiro District has 486,360 people and about 85 per cent live off farming. Famine came as a result of crop failure brought about by little or no rainfall in the area in the last three years.