Family, relatives and fellow comrades in arms. Please all accept my deep condolences for the loss of a brother and comrade Major Joseph Mutagoma. Mutagoma and I became friends since our school years in Kampala, we went to the same school and hostel. Then we joined NRA, we did together Officer training 01/long intake in Jinja and on to the RPF/A armed struggle together.
Mutagoma was a brave, courageous and a bold fighter. I remember how he struggled with his shattered arm after he was injured at the battle field, when everybody encouraged him to let it go, because it looked so bad and we had no treatment at the time,the courageous Mutagoma insisted,he wanted to keep his arm that was supposed to be amputated until he later found treatment.
Mutagoma was a survivor; when he got badly injured, our forces were overpowered and got scattered into the Akagera National Park, they first split and moved into small groups, and later the pursued them further , until everybody had to deal with it individually, these were the hardest situations to imagine of in any military operations.
Mutagoma was caught up alone in the National park where he took cover all days and moved in the darkness of nights, until the enemy had regained control of Kagitumba and controlling all exits and entrances.
The courageous Mutagoma with his badly shattered arm that was rotten, almost to fall off from his shoulder, was able to sneak from the nearby enemy Inzirabwoba (FAR)guarding at Kagitumba boarder. Carrying his shattered arm, finding a possible crossing point into the Muvumba river which was not easy.
On one of the early mornings of Nov, 1990, He was able to cross into Uganda and the enemy noticed him getting out of the river on the the side across the border. He found me at Sofia/Kagezi sickbay from where an attempt to amputate his arm was made but he categorically resisted, he insisted his arm should not go.
Before he was put to sleep, he asked me to ensure his arm was not amputated. He was later transported to Kampala for treatment, and After treatment, Mutagoma came back and resumed command until when the war was over. I can’t forget his funny jokes and all the good moments we had with him.
Mutagoma was one of the few closest officers to the late Gen.Fred Gisa Rwigyema in the company of S.O Vedaste Kayitare, Maj. Alex Shumba, Col. William Bagabe and a few others. It should be remembered that each of these brother comrades died of the same problem of;”Multiple organ failure”; there is something fishy to that.
You will be greatly missed Ndugu Mutagoma. May God Rest your Soul in eternal peace.
