RIP: Bush War Hero Maj. Olivier Zizinga Passes On

By ROBERT KAMUKAMA

KAMPALA, Uganda|SHIFTMEDIA| She was such a wonderful mobiliser during the National Resistance Army rebellion, though she did engage in military warfare, she earned herself the rank of Major.

This is the rank that Olivier Zizinga held until her death on January 23 2021. Zizinga was an NRA historical with closer ties to the president.

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Spokesperson Brig. Flavia Byekwaso confirmed the death of the fallen hero in a tweet.

Though it is not yet confirmed, some reports indicate that Zizinga died of COVID 19 at at the Medipal Hospital in Kololo.

“The UPDF family commiserates with the family of our NRA historical Maj Oliver Zizinga who passed on today at 10:00 am at Medipal Hospital Kololo,” Byekwaso tweeted.

“Your struggle to liberate Uganda was not in vain. May the Lord rest her soul in perfect peace.”

Life

Zizinga joined the National Resistance Movement in the early 1980s as a mobiliser doing clandestine work after three of her children had been killed by UNLA soldiers.

She later rose to become one of the three women on the National Resistance Council(NRC).

Together with Gertrude Njuba, Zizinga was in charge of Museveni’s welfare.

In an interview conducted by Daily Monitor in 2013, Zizinga described one her sad moments when she was accused of poisoning Museveni, being the one in charge of his welfare.

“The two of us were put in charge of Museveni’s welfare and there was word in the enemy camp that, “Wherever you saw two women, there you would find Museveni, so, just hit that place hard”. Much as we never went to the battlefield, the two of us ensured the leader of the struggle was safe and healthy,” Zizinga said in the interview then.

Due to the accusations, (of poisoning Museveni) Zizinga narrated how she cried for three days.

She later attempted to put herself in the line of fire so that she could be killed.

She would later be charged with crying by the High Command.

After the war, she served in the National Resistance Council but later as a presidential adviser.

Her burial is yet to be pronounced by the UPDF