The political history of the bush war veteran dates at a prime age of 24 years, when he took a bold decision to join the struggle in the bush. At such a prime age, it should have been conviction rather than trial that compelled Maj(rtd). John Kazoora to leave the comfort of his home to join the bush challenges. It is partly this deep conviction of keeping to the promises of the struggle that could have led to the fallout with his leader. Given his fallout with his leader, he insisted that his leader had to stick to his word about the term limit. He may have misjudged the times, but his conviction to uphold the bush war tenets was too overwhelming and he parted ways with the centre.
However in death, one poignant fact has revealed; that historical comradeship remains the bedrock of any struggle. With all the vitriol between him and his leader, the bush war comradeship never faded. We all know that the fallout was so bitter that he became an ardent critic of the president, he become a pillar in the opposition ranks against the president and was at the centre of the formation of the Forum for Democratic Change(FDC). FDC was the biggest threat to NRM and president’s leadership, with Dr Besigye at the helm. John Kaozora was a political fulcrum in the opposition ranks that positioned himself as a political insider against the betrayal of the bush war tenets and doctrine of sticking to the 10 point program.
At the funeral mass, the widow of the late Maj(rtd). John Kazoora, Hon. Naome Kabasharira, revealed the true definition of historical comradeship between two political protagonists; president Museveni and his bush war comrade, Maj(rtd). John Kazoora. In her testimony in church, she stated that at no one time did the president abandon his friend in the hour of need and tribulation. He met his hospital bills, though they never had a face to face discussion about his health. The president went to the extent of sending his son Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba to deliver the much needed medical support. This tells a lot about the doctrine of the struggle. In spite of the political differences, the president never abandoned his comrade when misfortune struck.
Hon. Kabasharira expressed great gratitude for the support the president has offered over the years of her husband’s ailment. Her testimony is a radical departure from the widely held view that John Kazoora was abandoned to fate because he was not in line with the political ideology of his commander. The president separates politics from comradeship. Kazoora issue is not an isolated incident, over the years, families of his political nemeses have come out to testify how the president extended a helping hand whenever need arose, in form of school fees, scholarships, medical bills, jobs etc. What is clear is that the president never forgets his historical comrades, right from the days of FRONASA. He still talks about, Nkoko of Mayuge killed by firing squad at Queensway, Kasadha, Hajj Kibuye who laid foundation for the removal of IDD AMIN.
Typical of Museveni the guerilla chief, it is narrated how discreetly he visited Maj. John Kazoora’s frail mother on his way from a burial of a prominent politician in Kashari. He had a conversation for a while and gave her some money without talking about the differences between him and John. After leaving, Kazoora got wind of his visit, he came raging like a bull and chided her that now Museveni had given her a lot of money, she should seek medical attention in America. Her reply was a shocker. She told him that the president was from the burial of a prominent politician who had died in America, so there was nothing miraculous about treatment in America. This mindset, underpins the kind of anger he had about his boss.
The medical bills for over 20 years is a daunting task, so if Museveni took interest in the wellbeing of his comrade was a patriotic gesture. Even in death Hon. Naome Kabasharira declared a UGX 10 million contribution to the funeral arrangements. This clearly shows that in both life and death comradeship remains. What lesson does one pick from this? Differences in life, whether political, religious, and economic or otherwise should not erode past relationships of former friends. What Maj(rtd). John Kazoora wrote in his book; BETRAYED BY MY LEADER, is a chilling account of someone seething with anger. The narration points to a total fallout beyond redemption. The detailed manifest that laid bare some of top secrets that were better off kept under wraps, was a showcase of deep rooted anger. Some of the revelations were too personal to the president that would have been kept away from the public purview. The president took this in stride and ignored the excoriation that depicted him as a traitor. These are rare traits of a leader who has both power and money.
There were overtures to reconcile, but given what had transpired, it was always going to be hard to face a person he had threaded. He chose to take a law profile as he enjoyed the magnanimity of the president who had to foot his medical bills for about 20 years. The president’s beneficence has been extended to typical sworn opposition members. There are stories of him paying medical bills, scholarships for some of his avowed political enemies, causing murmurs in the NRM ranks, for those who do not have opportunity to partake these favours. It is a time long held trick of keeping your enemies at an arm’s lengths. Never be predictable in a poker game. The death of Maj(rtd). John Kazoora has exuded the inner self of the president not to harbour personal vendetta at the expense of historical relationships. Kazora was a consummate critic of the president, who branded him all sorts of derogatory nomenclature in pursuit of political correctness, but the positive treatment he got in return, could have made him rest in peace in appreciation. On the other hand the attitude of the president towards the political opposition, shall remain an engraved prodigy in the minds of researchers. It is hard to fathom a scenario where an enemy is brought closer even when he is too nonchalant. It’s a marvel.