(Kampala) – Saturday morning began with the bad news of yet another tragedy on the infamous Masaka road. This time, it was not just another accident. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) lost two of its senior officers. The country woke up to the gut wrenching news, the type that hits you harder than a matatu squeezing through traffic at Old Taxi Park.
Brigadier General Fred Twinamasiko, the Director of Training and Doctrine for Land Forces, and Brigadier General (rtd) Katende Kyambadde, who had only recently retired from the forces, met their untimely end in the cruel embrace of Masaka’s asphalt. As if 2024 needed another reminder of how dangerous this road is! This stretch has claimed more dreams than the sports betting companies around the country.
Lt. Col. Deo Akiki, the Deputy Defence Spokesperson, broke the news to journalists earlier today. In his somber tone, he confirmed the death of the two high ranking officers. “We have just lost the two Generals in a road accident on Masaka road,” he said, keeping his words as brief as a boda boda driver’s receipt.
Brig. Gen Fred Twinamasiko, who was in charge of making sure our soldiers know how to fight on land (because let us face it, Uganda is not about to become a naval powerhouse), had his life tragically cut short. He was not just a soldier; he was the man shaping the future strategies for Uganda’s land forces. He dedicated his life to preparing for the enemy in battle, only to lose it to the enemy on the road. Twinamasiko’s death has left a vacuum, much like when a power cut hits right in the middle of an important football match on your TV.
Brig. Gen (Rtd) Katende Kyambadde had only recently hung up his boots. After years of service to the country, he surely must have envisioned a quiet retirement—perhaps returning to his village to sip on a straw of Malwa as he watched the sunset over the hills. Masaka road had other plans. It came like a midnight thief, stealing yet another life that had hoped to enjoy the fruits of peaceful retirement.
Masaka Road, by now, is less a road and more a national tragedy—an equal opportunity nightmare that does not care about rank or status. It has been claiming lives like an overzealous witch doctor collecting debts in a Ugandan village, from ordinary citizens to esteemed Generals. One wonders if this road has been bewitched, because how else do you explain its unquenchable thirst for Ugandan lives?
While Uganda has made strides in many sectors, its roads remain the Achilles heel. Despite the countless campaigns on road safety, the reality on the ground remains shaky as hundreds of Ugandans lose their lives annually. It is no secret that Masaka road, in particular, has become a sort of national horror story. It is a place where even the bravest Ugandan driver says a little prayer before embarking on a journey.
