Manafwa – President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday recounted a dramatic escape from death during the regime of former President Idi Amin, describing how he survived an armed pursuit by government soldiers decades ago.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Manafwa District, Museveni narrated how in 1973 he once found himself trapped between two groups — Amin’s soldiers chasing him from behind and locals mistaking him for a thief ahead.
“I jumped over a fence and started running. The soldiers were firing bullets at me, but they missed. Then I saw another group — led by a young man called Charles Walimbwa — trying to block me, thinking I was a criminal,” Museveni said.
Caught between the two groups, Museveni said he sought cover in a eucalyptus forest before turning his gun on his pursuers.
“I stopped and fired at the soldiers. Everyone ran away — both the soldiers and Walimbwa's group. Later, I learned that two of them were killed,” he said.
The President said he later met Walimbwa, who now serves as the NRM chairperson in Manafwa.
“Now I see Walimbwa here — very good, very good,” Museveni added, drawing laughter from the crowd.
Museveni was in Manafwa to present the National Resistance Movement (NRM) manifesto for the 2026–2031 period, which he said focuses on consolidating peace, expanding infrastructure, and improving social services such as education, health, water, and electricity.
He said the NRM’s record since 1986 could be summed up in seven “Etofali” — symbolic building blocks representing peace, unity, development, and service delivery.
“The first Etofali is peace. It was not easy, but it came because we rejected tribalism and sectarianism and valued every Ugandan,” he said.
The President cited achievements in infrastructure, noting that 96% of villages in Manafwa now have access to safe water, and several major roads and power connections are either complete or under construction.
Museveni pledged to ensure every sub-county in the district has a government primary and secondary school, as well as upgraded health facilities.
The rally in Manafwa is part of the President’s ongoing nationwide campaign to promote the NRM’s upcoming manifesto and rally support ahead of the 2026 general elections.