President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has once again reflected on his remarkable journey of survival, recounting how divine intervention saved his life on several occasions since his early days as a freedom fighter.
While addressing supporters during his campaign rally in Manafwa District, Bugisu sub-region, the President emotionally narrated a dramatic incident from 1973, when soldiers of then-President Idi Amin Dada surrounded a house where he and his comrades were hiding.
“First, I thank God for saving me and others in 1973 when Amin’s soldiers surrounded us in Mwambe’s house. Two of my colleagues were killed that day, but I survived by His grace,” President Museveni said.
He described how the soldiers opened fire, killing two of his comrades instantly. In a daring escape, Museveni jumped over a fence and sprinted for his life. He recalled how the locals, led by Warimbwa, mistook him for a thief and tried to intercept him, unaware that Amin’s soldiers were pursuing him.
“We were at Maruku housing estate when Amin’s soldiers attacked. I jumped over the fence and started running. The people around, led by Warimbwa, thought I was a thief. But I was being chased by Amin’s soldiers. When I saw danger in front and behind, I pulled out my gun and fired back. The soldiers ran away — and so did Warimbwa’s group,” the President recounted to laughter and applause from the crowd.
Warimbwa, who would later become NRM district chairman of Manafwa, was among those who once thought Museveni had escaped using supernatural powers. Over the years, the President’s multiple narrow escapes from death have evolved into popular folklore — with some Ugandans humorously saying that “Museveni can turn into a cat, a dog, or even a banana” to evade danger.
Indeed, Museveni’s survival has long fascinated both supporters and critics. Beyond the 1973 episode, he has survived numerous assassination attempts, including one in Kireka, another planned attack in Makindye in 1982, the Luwero bush chopper raid, and even an alleged plot by the disbanded Boda Boda 2010 group along Entebbe Road. The President credited Gen. Tumukunde for dismantling that group and arresting its leader, Hajji Abdallah Kitatta, before any harm could be done.
These episodes, Museveni said, are proof that his journey has been guided by the “spiritual hand of God.”
“I have seen death with my own eyes many times, but I’m still here — not because I’m clever or strong — but because of God’s grace,” he told supporters.
As his campaign trail continues across the country, Museveni’s tales of survival continue to resonate with many Ugandans who see his life as a living testimony of divine protection and destiny.
