Final Salute for Major John Kazoora at Restful Kashari Send-Off

Major John Kazoora had to receive the full military honours that his status on the high table of the NRA liberation struggle demanded and he indeed went down with one, complete with the gun salute.

Kazoora, who died on Easter Sunday at the age of 66, was buried in his home village of Rutooma, Kashari in Mbarara District, on Thursday, surrounded by a crowd of mourners that included over 20 Members of Parliament, former comrades-in-arms, and political leaders from across Uganda’s divide.

The seven-gun salute at his graveside paid tribute to a man whose life journey spanned the jungles of epicentre of the bush war in Luweero, the corridors of Parliament, and the contentious battleground of opposition politics.

Born on August 4, 1958, Maj Kazoora passed away on April 20, 2025, after a prolonged struggle with diabetes—a condition he had lived with for more than 20 years.

President Museveni, through Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa, hailed Kazoora’s patriotism and commitment to Uganda’s liberation.

“His decision to join the pro-people struggle against bad leadership and contribution to its triumph is proof of his heroism and patriotism,” Tayebwa said, urging continued dialogue and unity across political affiliations.

“We all want a better Uganda. One says go via Masaka, another via Mubende—why should we fight over that?”

Mourners heard tributes from figures across the political spectrum. Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, a fellow NRA fighter and now leader of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), pushed back against the idea that the veterans of the Bush War should bear blame for Uganda’s current state.

“Stop mixing up issues. We didn’t bring President Museveni alone—we came together,” Muntu said.

Former Ethics Minister Miria Matembe shared her pain at being sidelined by the political system she helped shape.

“They didn’t give me anything. No pension. We left empty-handed,” she said.

Naome Kabasharira, Kazoora’s widow and current MP for Rushenyi County, offered a deeply personal tribute.

“On Easter morning, we spoke at 8am, just like always,” she recalled. “Even when we disagreed politically, he respected and supported me.”

Kabasharira also disclosed that despite Kazoora’s departure from the ruling party, President Museveni had been quietly covering his medical bills.

“He never abandons anyone who joined him in the bush,” she said.

Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde, another of Kazoora’s long-time comrades, took to X (formerly Twitter) with a heartfelt message.

“Today in Kashari, we laid to rest an old comrade and a dear friend, John Kazoora. From the volatile days at Makerere University, through the battlefields, to the corridors of Parliament, Kazoora gave his all to every mission that came his way. If it mattered, it mattered," he wrote.

The crowd buzzed when opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, arrived at the funeral in the company of Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi and his party NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya.

However, Mr Kyagulanyi was not allowed to speak and the Nile Post understands it was down to a family decision made prior to the event.

About John Kazoora

John Kazoora was a veteran of the NRA liberation struggle, a former MP for Kashari, and a one-time director for policy mobilisation in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).

Educated at Makerere University, Kazoora was known for his discipline, clarity of thought, and unwavering belief in democratic values.

In 2012, he published “Betrayed by My Leader”, a memoir that charted his disillusionment with President Museveni and offered an insider’s perspective on the compromises and contradictions that followed the Bush War victory.

The book is a powerful indictment of what he described as the betrayal of the revolutionary values the NRA once stood for—freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.

A former director of political affairs in military intelligence in the Movement government, Kazoora emerged after the war as a principled voice in Parliament and within the security sector.

As the sun set over the rolling hills of Kashari, it was clear that Maj John Kazoora’s journey had come full circle—remembered by many, respected by even more, and buried in the land that shaped his revolutionary spirit.

Born on August 4, 1958, Maj Kazoora passed away on April 20, 2025, after a prolonged struggle with diabetes—a condition he had lived with for more than 20 years.