EnterUganda

. Kampala, Uganda.

Lt. Col. Nalweyiso:

There were many lies in China's story according Lt. Colonel Proscovia Nalweyiso and Captain Maimuna Nadduli, the officers who personally recruited her into the NRA: "I had just established camp near Ibanda gombolola headquarters around August 1985. In that area, I had made contact with a few local people. Among these people was a woman who I remember as Akiiki," Nadduli said. Akiiki was allegedly China's mother.

Akiiki was being chased out of her house at around the time the NRA camped in Ibanda. She was a desperate woman of Rwandese origin. China is also Rwandese. Nadduli said that China was the cause of her mother's problems.

"Her mother told me that she was breaking up families in the area. She was a very stubborn 15 year old girl, in primary six. That is why her mother asked me to recruit her into the NRA," Nadduli said. In her story, China claims to have been eight years old, when she joined the NRA. She claims to have been picked by two men and taken to the NRA against her will. All these are lies, according to the officers

Captain Nadduli was hesitant to recruit China: "We had already recruited enough female soldiers in the NRA. I did not have any space for more," she told The New Vision. However, because of pleading by China's mother, she accepted to go with her.

Even so, they say, China did not receive training until nearly a year later. She never took part in the Katonga battles as she claims, neither did she take part in the capture of Kampala as she so happily writes: "By the time the NRA captured Kampala, I was still with China at Ibanda. We only moved from Ibanda to Kabamba training wing in the middle of 1986," Nadduli says.

At Kabamba, Nadduli realised that Captain Kaganda, chief trainer at Kabamba then, now a Lt. Colonel in the UPDF, was looking for a house girl. Kaganda's wife was from Ibanda. Immediately, China was taken on as the house-girl. But because she was stubborn, she only stayed a few days. By this time, China had become like Captain Nadduli's child. It was a long way from her Ibanda home, so there was no way she could go back. She finally allowed her to join training at Kabamba. This was late in 1986.

Nadduli left China under training at Kabamba, because she was called to Kampala. After training, several of the girls were deployed at Bombo women's wing, while China was deployed at Republic House at the quarter guard. This was in 1987. That is the very first time she came into contact with Lt. Colonel Kashillingi, who took her on as his escort, and not in war, as she wrote.

In 1987, part of Republic House burnt down. The fire apparently started from Kashillingi's office, before spreading. Lots of important documents were burnt. Since China was among the guards at the house, she and others were arrested and taken to Mbuya Military Barracks. They were released after the authorities realised that they had no case to answer.

China was deployed in the military police after the release, and posted at Makindye. It was while in the military police that she got in contact with Lt. Colonel Drago Nyanzi: "China became Drago's wife and they even had a child," Nadduli said. But at the same time, she was also involved with other men in the city. On a visit to the north, while touring NRA units, Nalweyiso came into contact with China at Drago's house. It seemed she was his wife. On Kampala streets, China was commonly seen driving one of Drago's open-roofed cars. Drago also gave her a house and two escorts.

Around 1994, China separated with Drago. At that time, she was seen in the company of several half-casts in Kisenyi. These people were known drug dealers. Drago tried several avenues of getting her back. China also used many tricks to repel him. She became pregnant by one of the half-casts.

"In 1995, we were surprised to hear an announcement that China was dead," Nadduli said. "We later learnt that she had made the announcement herself, as a way of putting off Drago. Drago was advised to give up on China. Drago, the tough guy he was, apparently refused, and continued looking for her. This, they say, is what most likely frightened her out of the country.

In her story, China says that she left the country in the company of an old military friend, called Boxer. The officers believe that Boxer was never an army man, but China's half-cast boyfriend: "China was never haunted out of the army as she says. She only fled in fear of the several men she had loved and left, but in particular her husband Drago," Nadduli says, adding that she was aware of China's every step, as she had recruited her as her own child in the army. Some time in 1995, Nadduli learnt that China was in a refugee camp in South Africa.

The officers said that China did not live in the women's wing of Bombo, but only visited friends who were there, so her pictures of the women's wing in the story are wrong.

"China was a very crafty girl. I am not surprised that she managed to craft such a story," Nalweyiso said. "She was a very poor girl whom we helped give a life to. It is herself who destroyed this life by indulging with hundreds of men and some shadowy businesses. She has herself to blame." Nadduli said.

The officers were surprised that a soldier who never had any captives in her hands could comment on the NRA policy on captives. China was never involved in any fighting. The only time she went to a war zone was when she lived in Gulu with her husband, Drago. "We did not have any policy of killing our captives in the bush. Otherwise, how come we have so many of them in the current army?" Nalweyiso asked.

"The NRA record on kadogos was very clear. Fighting for them was voluntary and not forced. They came into the force as a way of protection rather than by force," Nalweyiso said. None of them was taught to kill on captives. Nadduli says China's story is unfortunate.

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