Col. Samson Mande, one of the former fighters of the National Resistance Army and a former critic of President Museveni, has returned home after 20 years in exile.
He also announced rejoining the ruling party after more than 20 years in exile.
Col Mande’s return was announced on Thursday at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds during Uganda’s 63rd Independence Day celebrations, where President Museveni personally presented the former bush war commander before thousands of citizens.
Speaking to Ugandans, Mande declared total allegiance to the movement he helped build at its birth.
“I am back home. Here in Uganda, I have two homes. The first home is my country nobody should be surprised that I am here; I am in my home. The second home is the NRM. I am a founder member of the NRM. NRM was born by us. It is in me, and it will remain in me until death puts us asunder,” he said.
He stated that his return was intentional, driven by a desire to contribute rather than to critique.
“I went when I was bitter, but now I am better and I am loaded with solutions. I will not look to the past; I don’t live in the past tense. I am looking forward to contributing to national development.”
Col. Mande, the holder of UPDF service number RAO69, was among the first 100 fighters in the NRA guerrilla force that waged the five-year war leading to the 1986 takeover.
He played a critical role in drafting the documents that transitioned the NRA into the modern Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
Despite his historic contribution, he later fell out with the regime, was imprisoned and reportedly tortured before fleeing.
His journey in exile began in Rwanda and ended in Sweden, where he has lived since 2001, maintaining a harsh stance against the government he once helped establish.
