In a deeply moving and poetic tribute, former intelligence chief and Bush War veteran Rt. Gen David Sejusa has honoured the late John Bashaija Kazoora, a revered National Resistance Army (NRA) combatant and patriot, describing his passing as a return to the sacred ranks of the fallen heroes of Uganda’s liberation struggle.
“John has joined all the other Children of the Plains and Forests of Luweero,” Sejusa wrote in a eulogy that reads like a spiritual march through Uganda’s liberation geography.
In his homage, Sejusa evokes the forests, rivers, and hills where Kazoora and countless others fought, bled, and died for the freedom Uganda enjoys today.
From the Rwenzori ranges to the hills of Kilak, and the riverbanks of Mayanja, Kafu, and the Nile, Sejusa paints a vivid landscape of sacrifice and brotherhood.
He recalls not just the places, but also the spirits of those who came before, calling forth the names of iconic fellow fighters: Gordon Rwamukaga, Stanley Muhangi, Kaggwa, Kerim, Musisi, and Lumumba.
In a powerful imagined reunion beyond this life, Sejusa hears them welcoming Kazoora with honor and joy: “WELCOME COMRADE BASHAIJA!”
The tribute reaches a crescendo as Sejusa hears voices from Palabek Ogili and Corner Kilak—places heavy with the memory of fallen comrades like Walter Ochola and Oketta—saluting Kazoora’s arrival with reverence.
“John, we saw your spirit atop Muwanga Hills and the valleys of Kasejjere in Kiboga,” Sejusa writes, immortalizing Kazoora as the “Kazoora of Kasejjere,” a moniker that cements his legacy in the liberation canon.
John Bashaija Kazoora’s passing is not just the loss of a man, but the fading echo of an era that shaped the modern Ugandan state.
Through the powerful words of Gen. Sejusa, Uganda remembers and reaffirms the courage, unity, and enduring spirit of those who gave everything in the struggle for freedom.
May his soul rest in power.
