| David Bugozi Musuguri | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | General Mutukula |
| Born | 4 January 1920 |
| Place of birth | Butiama, Tanganyika |
| Allegiance |
 British Empire Tanganyika Tanzania |
| Service/branch |
King's African Rifles Tanganyika Rifles Tanzania People's Defence Force |
| Years of service | 1942–1988 |
| Rank | Lieutenant general |
| Commands held |
20th Division TPDF TPDF |
| Battles/wars | |
David Bugozi Musuguri (born 4 January 1920) is a Tanzanian soldier and retired military officer who served as Chief of the Tanzania People's Defence Force from 1980 until 1988.
Biography[]
Early life[]
David Musuguri was born on 4 January 1920 in Butiama, Tanganyika.[1][lower-alpha 1] In 1938, he underwent bhakisero, a traditional rite of passage for Zanaki males involving the filing of the top incisors into triangular shapes.[2]
Military career[]
In 1942, Musugiri enlisted in the King's African Rifles (KAR),[3] beginning as a private.[4] He later served with the KAR in Madagascar.[3] By 1947 he was a sergeant and acted as an instructor at Kahawa Barracks in Nairobi, Kenya. While there he met future Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, who was a pupil of his.[5] In 1957, the British administration introduced the rank of effendi into the KAR, which was awarded to high performing African non-commissioned officers and warrant officers (it was not a true officer classification). Musuguri was given the rank.[6] In December 1961, Tanganyika became a sovereign state and several units of the KAR was transferred to the newly formed Tanganyika Rifles. The rank of effendi was shortly thereafter abandoned,[7] and, by 1962, Musuguri had been promoted to lieutenant.[8] During the Tanganyika Rifles mutiny of January 1964, Musuguri was stationed in Tabora. Rebellious troops, attempting to remove and replace their British officers, declared him a major.[9]
I am proud that I participated in chasing Idi Amin Dada to Saudi Arabia where he sought for asylum. But I can assure you, there is no war that is good. War means killing.
Though reportedly illiterate, Musuguri eventually rose to the rank of brigadier by 1978.[10] In early 1979, he was promoted to major general and given command of the Tanzanian People's Defence Force (TPDF)'s 20th Division, a force that had been assembled to invade Uganda following the outbreak of the Uganda–Tanzania War in 1978.[4][11] During the war, he garnered the nom de guerre "General Mutukula",[12] and successfully commanded his forces during the battles of Simba Hills,[13][14] Masaka,[15][16] and Lukaya,[17][18] as well as Operation Dada Idi.[19] In early November 1980, Musuguri was appointed Chief of the TPDF. He returned to Tanzania the following week to take up his new post.[20] On 30 December, President Julius Nyerere promoted him to lieutenant general.[21] On 7 February 1981, Ugandan President Milton Obote gave Musuguri two spears in honor of "his gallant action in the Battle of Lukaya".[22] During his tenure, he was accused of encouraging ethnic favoritism in the armed forces.[23] He was opposed to withdrawing Tanzanian troops from Uganda in 1981 on the grounds that the country had not yet built a reliable armed force, but Nyerere overruled him.[24] His retirement was announced on 31 August 1988.[23]
Later life[]
Following his retirement, Musuguri moved to Butiama.[1][3] In 2002, he endorsed the creation of an East African federation between Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.[25] In 2014, he was awarded the Order of the Union Third Class by President Jakaya Kikwete.[26] On 4 January 2020, he celebrated his 100th birthday.[1]
Notes[]
Citations[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Mugini, Jacob (4 January 2020). "General Musuguri: Ex-CDF Chief Who Turns 100 Years Today". https://dailynews.co.tz/news/2020-01-045e103f065f6c7.aspx.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Molony 2014, p. 239.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Molony 2014, p. 213.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Avirgan & Honey 1983, p. 79.
- ↑ "General David Musuguri, Idi Amin’s nemesis turns 100". 4 January 2020. https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/news/General-David-Musuguri--Idi-Amin-s-nemesis-turns-100/1840386-5406850-wlfybe/index.html.
- ↑ Tanganyika Rifles Mutiny 1993, pp. 19–20.
- ↑ Tanganyika Rifles Mutiny 1993, pp. 20, 25.
- ↑ Tanganyika Rifles Mutiny 1993, p. 26.
- ↑ Tanganyika Rifles Mutiny 1993, p. 101.
- ↑ "Makamanda Walioongoza Vita ya Kagera" (in Swahili). 3 January 2020. https://globalpublishers.co.tz/makamanda-walioongoza-vita-ya-kagera/.
- ↑ Lubega, Henry (26 April 2014). "Revisiting the Tanzania-Uganda war that toppled Amin". https://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Revisiting-the-Tanzania-Uganda-war-that-toppled-Amin/688342-2293306-110gxl9/index.html.
- ↑ Mzirai 1980, p. 156.
- ↑ Avirgan & Honey 1983, pp. 78–79.
- ↑ Cooper & Fontanellaz 2015, p. 29.
- ↑ Avirgan & Honey 1983, p. 84.
- ↑ Cooper & Fontanellaz 2015, pp. 30–31.
- ↑ Avirgan & Honey 1983, p. 91.
- ↑ Cooper & Fontanellaz 2015, p. 33.
- ↑ Avirgan & Honey 1983, p. 94.
- ↑ "General Musuguri to Tanzania". Foreign Broadcast Information Service. 1980. https://books.google.com/books?id=zFdEAQAAIAAJ.
- ↑ "Tanzania : Senior Officers Promoted". 1980. p. 5910. https://books.google.com/books?id=DHsEAQAAIAAJ&q=.
- ↑ "Ugandan honour for Tanzanian COS". 1981. OCLC 378680447. https://books.google.com/books?id=1uwzAAAAIAAJ&dq=.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Tanzania : New Defence Chief". 1988. p. 9014. https://books.google.com/books?id=-2IOAQAAMAAJ&dq=.
- ↑ Avirgan & Honey 1983, pp. 231–232.
- ↑ "Tanzania general calls for federation". 11 April 2002. https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1083080/tanzania-calls-federation.
- ↑ "President honours 86 for selfless service". Dar es Salaam. 27 April 2014. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150722232903/http://dailynews.co.tz/archive/index.php/local-news/30801-president-honours-86-for-selfless-service.
References[]
- Avirgan, Tony; Honey, Martha (1983). War in Uganda: The Legacy of Idi Amin. Dar es Salaam: Tanzania Publishing House. ISBN 978-9976-1-0056-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=OM9AAAAAYAAJ&dq=.
- Cooper, Tom; Fontanellaz, Adrien (2015). Wars and Insurgencies of Uganda 1971–1994. Solihull: Helion & Company Limited. ISBN 978-1-910294-55-0.
- Molony, Thomas (2014). Nyerere: The Early Years. Boydell & Brewer Ltd. ISBN 9781847010902. https://books.google.com/books?id=qDE3BAAAQBAJ&dq=.
- Mzirai, Baldwin (1980) (in Swahili). Kuzama kwa Idi Amin. Dar es Salaam: Publicity International. OCLC 9084117.
- Tanganyika Rifles Mutiny: January 1964. Dar es Salaam University Press. 1993. ISBN 9789976601879.
The original article can be found at David Musuguri and the edit history here.