KABALE.
The former Armoured Division Commander, Maj Gen Deus Sande, 62, was Sunday laid to at his ancestral home in Ruborogota Village, Kyanamira Sub-county, Kabale District.
Maj Gen Sande was given a 13-gun salute by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). Former Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Wilson Mbadi, who is also the State minister for Trade, said the late Sande was dedicated to his duties.
“All of us will die, but a legacy is very important. Legacy is not about how many monuments are erected in honour of the deceased, but about the good things you have done and the number of lives you have touched. We shall always remember him for his ability to balance command, politics, and sports, and for being a great fan of Arsenal, as well as his devotion to the Catholic faith,” Gen Mbadi said.
Praises
He urged UPDF officers and soldiers to emulate Maj Gen Sande, who he commended for his service to the army and the country. He also thanked the UPDF and the Commander-in-Chief, Yoweri Museveni, for providing equal opportunities to soldiers regardless of how they joined the forces. “I first saw Sande in 1999 when he was a lieutenant and I was a captain. He rose through the ranks to major general. He was a dedicated Roman Catholic who loved the Church. He balanced command, politics, and sports. We thank President Museveni because everyone who joins the army has equal opportunities. I joined as a private soldier and later became a corporal, and this did not stop me from becoming a general,” Gen Mbadi said.
He called upon Maj Gen Sande’s son, a lieutenant in the army, to emulate the good qualities of his late father. Col Dr John Lusiba read the post-mortem report, which indicated that Maj Gen Sande died of hypertension. He said there were no signs of chronic disease or injuries on the body.
UPDF soldiers prepare to fire the gun salutes at the burial of Maj Gen Deus Sande
“Although both lungs were enlarged, the left ventricle of his heart, which pumps blood to the body, was also enlarged, meaning it had been working under pressure for some time. The provisional cause of death was hypertensive heart disease,” Col Dr Lusiba said.
Maj Gen Henry Masiko, representing the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, described the late Maj Gen Sande as a patriot who performed his duties diligently.
“He was a calm and admirable general who exercised a high level of professionalism and integrity. He was instrumental in restoring peace and security in the country. The UPDF is saddened by the loss of such a professional cadre whose contribution was still greatly needed,” Gen Kainerugaba said in a speech delivered by Maj Gen Masiko. The widow, Ms Annet Kyamprire, said: “I appeal to the government to consider providing employment to my other children, who are both university graduates, especially now that their father, who supported them, is gone.
My late husband was supporting the education of about 75 children in various institutions. We need support to ensure that his dream of educating these underprivileged children continues,” Ms Kyamprire said. The Financial Administrator of Kabale Diocese, Rev Fr Devis Keinamura, who represented the Bishop of Kabale Diocese, Callist Rubaramira, described the late Maj Gen Sande as a former altar boy who deeply loved the Church and was committed to development. He urged mourners to reconcile with one another and live in harmony.
“The Church has come to send him off because his parents brought him to the Church for baptism. Late Maj Gen Sande loved the Church to an extent that he used to walk a very long distance from his home in Ruborogota-Kacuro Village to Rushoroza Cathedral where he worked as an altar boy. Even after joining the army, he continued loving the church and serving it. The deceased loved God and served Him without any reservation. May the Almighty God rest his soul in peace,” Rev Fr Keinamura said.