Opposition activist Gen. Moses Bigirwa has made fresh claims about the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s visits to Uganda, insisting that he personally witnessed clashes involving Gaddafi’s security guards and Uganda’s Special Forces Command (SFC).
Bigirwa also challenged accounts suggesting that local Islamic leaders played a leading role in prayers during Gaddafi’s visits, arguing that the Libyan leader himself took charge of the prayers.
“Gaddafi was smelling money. No imam or Islamic leader was allowed to lead the prayers—they simply didn’t have the level. Gaddafi himself led the prayers,” Bigirwa said.
The opposition activist maintained that his account was based on what he personally witnessed rather than information passed on to him by other people.
“If you want to challenge me, it’s open. I was there,” he said.
Bigirwa claimed that he personally witnessed confrontations between Gaddafi’s security personnel and members of the SFC at several locations in Kampala, including Nakivubo, Old Kampala and Munyonyo.
His account appears intended to challenge narratives about the circumstances surrounding Gaddafi’s movements and security arrangements in Uganda, particularly claims made by people whom he says were not physically present during the incidents.
“Those of Sheikh Kitti were still in the village. They didn’t see Gaddafi. Me, I was there,” Bigirwa said.
Gaddafi maintained a long and complicated relationship with Uganda and President Yoweri Museveni. His government had historical military and political links with Uganda dating back decades, while Gaddafi later maintained close relations with the Ugandan government and made several visits to the country.
Gaddafi was also involved in several high-profile religious and development initiatives in Uganda. His name became particularly associated with the construction and development of the Gaddafi National Mosque at Old Kampala, which remains one of the country’s most prominent Islamic institutions.
Bigirwa’s latest comments revisit the security and religious circumstances surrounding Gaddafi’s presence in Uganda, while placing emphasis on what he says were direct encounters between the Libyan leader’s security personnel and Ugandan security forces.
The opposition activist has challenged anyone disputing his version of events to do so based on firsthand knowledge, repeatedly stressing that he was physically present during the incidents he describes.
However, the specific details of the alleged clashes, including their timing, circumstances and the identities of those involved, would require independent corroboration from official records or additional eyewitness accounts.
For now, Bigirwa’s remarks represent his personal account of events he says he witnessed, as he continues to insist that those who were not present should not speak with certainty about what happened.
