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When I was a young journalist in Uganda, I was ambitious, perhaps too ambitious. I wanted badly to interview General @GenWamala, who at the time served as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), the highest military command position in the Uganda People's Defence Forces (@MODVA_UPDF).
So, as young journalists do, I started working my way through the connections until, somehow, I got his phone number.
Then came the terrifying part: calling him.
I rehearsed my introduction several times. I am naturally soft-spoken, so I was determined that this man was going to hear a serious journalist on the other end of that phone.
I called him.
“Hello, General. My name is Remmy Bahati. I am a journalist…”
Except I didn’t say it in my normal voice. 😂
I summoned the deepest, biggest, most authoritative voice I could manufacture.
He listened for a few seconds and then said:
“You sound like a baby… like my daughter!” 🤣🤣🤣. What I didn’t know was that he watches the news and already knew who I was. Then he completed my signature sign-off:
“Remmy Bahati, live at 9.”
That made me laugh and, honestly, it made me feel much less nervous. I thought, Okay, the General actually knows who I am! 😂
I quickly recovered and said, “Yes, General. But I would really love to have an exclusive interview with you.”
He asked, “When?”
I said, “Tomorrow.”
He said, “Come to my office at 2 p.m.”
Just like that.
That night, I went home and told my dad, “Dad, tomorrow I am interviewing the Commander of Uganda’s army.”
He looked at me like I had lost my mind.
“How?” “Dad, it’s happening.”
I told him, “If you don’t believe me, turn on your TV at 9 p.m.” 😂
At the time, the military under General Katumba was held in very high regard, and Gen. Katumba was one of the most respected Ugandas in the country. For a young journalist, walking into the office of the army commander for an exclusive interview was a BIG deal in the media.
The next day, I arrived at his office. My name had already been cleared. I was received as a guest of the Army Commander and treated with tremendous respect and dignity by the officers.
I knew millions of Ugandans would eventually watch this interview, and suddenly that little voice I had tried so hard to make sound “deep” on the phone came back to haunt me. 😂
As we were setting up the cameras, I knew I needed an icebreaker. I was nervous, and I didn’t want the first question to sound stiff or overly formal.
I looked at General Katumba and thought, Okay, if he can joke about my voice, I can also tease him a little.
I looked at him again and, with a big smile, asked:
“General, when are you going to retire?”
He immediately laughed. Then, in the tiniest voice possible, he mimicked me:
“Remmy, you want me to retire?” 😂
He continued, “I have just been appointed to this position, and I have so much to do for my country. But that time will come. And when it comes, I want you to write a big headline about it.”
We both laughed.
11 years later, I still remember that interview not only because it was one of those moments that made me believe I could take on any room, but because of the warmth of General Katumba Wamala, his work ethic, his composure, and how remarkably cool he was in such a powerful position.
General Katumba Wamala, as you retire from the army, I want to congratulate you and thank you for your service to our nation.
This is the headline. Happy retirement🇺🇬