By Our Reporters.
The Battle of Kampala was a battle of the Ugandan Bush War that took place from January 17 to 26 , 1986 in which forces of the National Resistance Army (NRA) attacked and captured the Ugandan capital, Kampala, from the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA).
On February 6, 1981 Mr Yoweri Kaguta Museveni waged a five – year protracted bush war in the jungles of Luwero triangle, 61.4 kms ` on Kampala – Gulu highway.
Mr Museveni launched insurgency in Uganda against the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) government, which was controlled by the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA). He soon joined the nascent National Resistance Movement (NRM) and took control of its armed wing, the NRA.
In 1985 the NRA inflicted several key defeats on the UNLF’s armed wing, the UNLA, leaving the Ugandan capital, Kampala, vulnerable to attack. Feeling pressured, the UNLF government led by President Tito Okello pursued negotiations with the NRM. The resulting peace agreement failed to end the conflict, and Okello amassed a large force of UNLA troops and allied militias to garrison Kampala in preparation for an attack, though its effectiveness was weakened by low morale, internal friction, and subterfuge. On 17 January 1986 the NRA began advancing on Kampala. They managed to occupy territory around the city, but the UNLA stemmed their advance by placing an artillery battery at a strategic roundabout. On 24 January the UNLA withdrew its battery, and the NRA began its main attack.
On the following day the NRA besieged several UNLA installations in Kampala, and by evening had secured Republic House, the UNLA headquarters. On 26 January the NRA captured Radio Uganda, but 1,000 UNLA troops from Entebbe broke through a roadblock and began advancing towards the city.
Museveni and his chief of staff, Salim Saleh, redeployed their forces to counter the threat, in the process opening a gap in their cordon around Kampala and allowing many UNLA troops to escape. Okello fled in a helicopter and flew to Sudan. In the evening an NRA battalion ambushed the UNLA troops advancing from Entebbe while a company moved to attack their rear, forcing them to capitulate and ending the battle. On 29 January Museveni was sworn in as President of Uganda.
The UNLA attempted to regroup in northern Uganda, but collapsed in the following months after being subject to further NRA attacks as some disgruntled remnants of the UNLA joined the NRA to liberate the country..
Following their victories, the NRA was able to greatly expand its manpower, and gained access to important military equipment. In contrast, the UNLA’s remaining forces
were increasingly suffering from defections, low morale, and internal divisions along ethnic lines. The NRA’s success at Masaka and Mbarara also solidified their control of the centre and south-western sections of the country and left Kampala vulnerable to attack. To take advantage of its improving military situation, the NRA High Command decided to launch an offensive to capture the city. Saleh drew up the plans of attack. About 9,600 fighters were allocated for this operation, many of which were UNLA defectors from the Masaka garrison. At the same time, the NRA’s 9th and 19th Battalions blocked the Masinda–Hoima Road, so that UNLA units which were still active in northern Uganda could not reinforce Kampala. Realising that the rebels would launch an attack on the capital, President Okello attempted to bolster Kampala’s garrison by enlisting the aid of anti-NRA militias, including the Former Uganda National Army (FUNA) and the Uganda Freedom Army. In truth, many of these alleged anti-NRA fighters were NRA spies and acted as a fifth column; the entire Uganda Freedom Army was probably a front organisation of the NRA. In addition, FUNA suffered from extensive indiscipline, and harassed civilians in the capital despite denials by its commander Isaac Lumago. Kampala’s garrison was at least 12,000-strong. The UNLA also established a battery at Summit View on Kololo, a hill overlooking Kampala. Troops were deployed to strategic locations, including the Radio Uganda building, the Uganda Television building, the Nile Mansions, the Uganda International Conference Centre, and the Parliament building. UNLA forces also garrisoned the State House in Entebbe to the South-East ■
