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Mayombo's coup, part 6:
the failure of the coup and the fallout
Last updated : 28 May 2007, Kampala

Before we continue with the story of Mayombo's coup we need to make some corrections.

Some angry sources who know what happened have criticized us for getting a few facts wrong. We have checked the five parts published so far and there are indeed some errors.

The missiles which Captain Nelson Sendegeya was to get for the coup plot against Museveni were surface to surface (SS) missiles, not surface to air (SAM) missiles as we reported.

We have also got credible information that they were to be got from the PGB base armoury in the Rwenzori mountains near Kasese, not the PGB training school at Kasenyi along Entebbe-Kampala road. The PGB base in Kasese district has sites for one of the national air defence units.

We are also reliably informed that the other conspirator in the coup, Paul Egesa, was not drawing sketches of State House as seen from the air.

Paul Egesa was drawing sketches of State House as seen from the ground and he was paying attention to the side of the building which has Museveni's bedroom. He could also have been secretly taking photographs of the bedroom wing using a mobile phone with a camera.

Another source is saying that the missiles which were to be brought to Kampala for the mission were not being brought as a complete unit. They were being brought in parts one by one to avoid suspicion.

Lastly, a source has told us that Museveni's brother General Salim Saleh was not a target of Mayombo's plot as we reported, but the target was Museveni only.

We are also told that the PGB officer who commanded the investigation was Captain Donald Anabasa not Lt. Keith Katungi, as we reported earlier.

These mistakes came about as we were trying to piece together the story from several sources.

We can now go on with our story.

Museveni was quiet the whole time that Mayombo was sick. He did not issue any public statement of concern and if he issued a private statement, it has not been printed in any Ugandan media. Museveni was so mad with anger that Mayombo had betrayed him and he did not even want to pretend to like the boy in public. As stubborn as he is, he went on as if everything was okay.

He was campaigning in Kamuli to make sure that Salamu Musumba of the FDC did not win the LC 5 chairman's seat. The media was making a big deal about Mayombo saying he was Museveni's blue-eyed boy but the godfather of the blue-eyed boy did not see it that way. In reality, he was full hate and anger.

The announcement of the death of Mayombo was delayed from April 30 which was a Monday to allow the state to finish its arrangements. It was made on Tuesday May 1 after lunch.

Engineer Paul Egesa was poisoned and he died two days before Mayombo, our sources now tell us. He was buried in Mayombe village in Busia district.

A relative of Egesa told Radio Katwe on May 22 that, "I couldn't believe it. The man was so fit the last time I met him. What had killed? So first I was told he got a bad stomach ache and he was vomiting heavily and was rushed to the hospital and died just like that."

When news came that Mayombo was dead still M7 said nothing, no sorry, no condolences, there was nothing from M7. When it became official that Mayombo was dead, the news spread like wildfire in Uganda and hundreds went to his home in Bukoto to say their sorry.

The FDC as a party had wanted to issue a statement over his death and give their condolences to the Rwabwoni family but also to condemn his legacy of safe houses and murders. But the party decided that the condemnation would be misunderstood and it could be used against them. So that is why they issued only statements of goodwill and FDC leaders Colonel Kiiza Besigye and Major General Mugisha Muntu went to Mayombo's home for the night vigil.

They did not have any part in the coup plot. Mayombo knew that the FDC is the most popular party in Uganda and if his coup succeeded he would need their support as how governments have needed Buganda's support even when they take power. That is why Mayombo brought in his younger brother Okwir to make contact with the FDC.

At Mayombo's house the night of his official death there was his aide de camp who was nicknamed George Besigye but his real names were George Tuhirirwa. He was recruited by Mayombo into CMI in 2001 and he was not really an ADC but Mayombo's informer. This is why the army spokesman could deny that Mayombo had no ADC called Besigye. This is true because it was not his real name, but Afande Kulayigye did not also say everything, because Tuhirirwa was poisoned and he had been very close to Mayombo like an ADC.

He used to rent and room in the "boys quarters" of a senior UPDF officer Colonel Rwabantu in Kampala.

Tuhirirwa was devastated by Mayombo's death because he had been close to Mayombo in his last hours. When Mayombo was summoned to Serena Hotel for the "breakfast meeting" where he was poisoned, Tuhirirwa was with him.

Mayombo said he had been poisoned by Museveni when Tuhirirwa was listening. At Mayombo's house Tuhirirwa vowed that Mayombo's death would be avenged. State House knew that this boy was a risk because he would talk and it gave the order to finish him off.

On Thursday night Tuhirirwa was poisoned. The next morning he was supposed to go and join the mourners at Kololo Airstrip for Mayombo's memorial service but he started vomiting and complaining of a stomach pain like fire. He collapsed and died. He was buried on Sunday at his family home in Mbarara district..

Still Museveni said nothing. At Kololo everyone was expecting Museveni to come with his wife Janet as they usually do for major state functions. Janet came alone and people started wondering where M7 was.

People waited and waited but there was nobody coming and nobody to ask if M7 would come. Nobody talked about his absence. There was no official reason given as to why M7 was not at Kololo and the Ugandan media did not ask. Something was wrong but nobody could ask. Nobody has ever explained where Museveni was that morning instead of being at Kololo.

When it came to going to Fort Portal for the burial this time Janet did not go and it was Museveni who went. Museveni gave Mayombo's family 30 million shillings and the person who is now in charge of the fund is none else but Museveni's last son in law Geoffrey Kamuntu. Mayombo's family is not going to get that money. His widow Juliet should forget about it. It was put up for a show.

Waiters and waitresses at Serena Hotel were arrested just to show the army and intelligence guys that something was being done to investigate the death of Moayombo.

So dear Ugandans that is the true story of how Mayombo died. He did some bad things but we should remember that he could have seen his faults and repented. We should not condemn him so much for his weaknesses and we forget that he almost changed Ugandan history.

If his coup had succeeded, Uganda would be free today of the corrupt and greedy Museveni family. So we should remember Mayombo as a guy who almost liberated us from dictatorship but the plot ended in a tragic failure.

 

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