| Order of Katonga | |
|---|---|
| Type | Single grade Order |
| Awarded for | 'extraordinary heroism in the army' |
| Presented by | Uganda |
| Status | Currently constituted |
| First awarded | 2004 |
| Total | 2 |
| Total awarded posthumously | 1 |
 Ribbon bar | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | None |
| Next (lower) | Kabalega Star |
The Order of Katonga (Swahili : Nishani ya Katonga) is the highest military decoration of the Ugandan Honours System. It is a very rare award that recognises its recipients for extraordinary heroism. [1]
The order is named after the final and decisive battle of the National Resistance Army during the Ugandan Bush War. It was fought near the Katonga River.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni decorated the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on 6 April 2004 in Tripoli, honouring him for his contribution to the National Resistance Army (NRA) bush struggle that liberated Uganda from dictatorship, adding that Colonel Gaddafi has always been at the forefront of the liberation of Africa and unification of the continent. [2]
Museveni also posthumously awarded former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere in July 2007 at his hometown of Butiama for his assistance in liberating Africa from colonialism in general and Uganda from Idi Amin's rule in particular via the Uganda–Tanzania War. His wife Maria received the award on his behalf. [3]
| Name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Muammar Gaddafi |  Libya | 2nd Head of State of Libya |
| Julius Nyerere |  Tanzania | 1st President of Tanzania |
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa is a Ugandan politician, military officer and revolutionary who is the ninth and current president of Uganda since 1986. His government is considered autocratic.
The History of Uganda from 1979 to 1986 comprises the history of Uganda since the end of the dictatorship of Idi Amin. This period has seen the second rule of Milton Obote and the presidency of Yoweri Museveni since 1986, in which Ugandan politics have been dominated by the National Resistance Movement.
Tito Lutwa Okello was a Ugandan military officer and politician. He was the eighth president of Uganda from 29 July 1985 until 26 January 1986.
The National Resistance Army (NRA), the military wing of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), was a rebel army that waged a guerrilla war, commonly referred to as the Ugandan Bush War or Luwero War, against the government of Milton Obote, and later that of Tito Okello. NRA was supported by Muammar Gaddafi.
Yusuf Kironde Lule was a Ugandan professor and politician who served as the fourth president of Uganda between 13 April and 20 June 1979.
Salim Saleh is a retired Ugandan military officer who served in the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), the armed forces of Uganda. He is a brother to the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, and an adviser to the President on military matters. He served as Minister of State for microfinance from 2006 to 2008. Saleh has featured in controversies regarding corruption, including being implicated by the UN Security Council for plundering natural resources in Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Uganda–Tanzania War, known in Tanzania as the Kagera War and in Uganda as the 1979 Liberation War, was fought between Uganda and Tanzania from October 1978 until June 1979 and led to the overthrow of Ugandan President Idi Amin. The war was preceded by a deterioration of relations between Uganda and Tanzania following Amin's 1971 overthrow of President Milton Obote, who was close to the President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere. Over the following years, Amin's regime was destabilised by violent purges, economic problems, and dissatisfaction in the Uganda Army.
The Ugandan Bush War was a civil war fought in Uganda by the official Ugandan government and its armed wing, the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA), against a number of rebel groups, most importantly the National Resistance Army (NRA), from 1980 to 1986.
The military history of Uganda begins with actions before the conquest of the country by the British Empire. After the British conquered the country, there were various actions, including in 1887, and independence was granted in 1962. After independence, Uganda was plagued with a series of conflicts, most rooted in the problems caused by colonialism. Like many African nations, Uganda endured a series of civil wars and coup d'états. Since the 2000s in particular, the Uganda People's Defence Force has been active in peacekeeping operations for the African Union and the United Nations.
Moses Ali is a Ugandan politician and retired military general. He is the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament. He previously served in the Cabinet of Uganda as Third Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business from May 2011 until June 2016. He also served as the first First Deputy Prime Minister from June 2016 to May 2021. He has served as the elected Member of Parliament for East Moyo County in Adjumani District since 2011.
General David Sejusa is a Ugandan lawyer, military officer and politician. He was the coordinator of intelligence services and a senior presidential adviser to President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni. He served as army commander and also a member of High Command UPDF, the UPDF defense council and a member of parliament representing the Uganda People's Defence Force. He had a falling out with Museveni and formed the Freedom and Unity Front in exile in the United Kingdom following being charged for plotting a coup where he has been allegedly planning anti-government activities by the Museveni government.
The Most Excellent Order of the Pearl of Africa is the highest civilian award of the Ugandan honours system and is awarded to heads of state and government leaders.
Kabamba is a location in Mubende District, Central Uganda.
The Battle of Lukaya was a battle of the Uganda–Tanzania War. It was fought on 10 and 11 March 1979 around Lukaya, Uganda, between Tanzanian forces and Ugandan government forces. After briefly occupying the town, Tanzanian troops and Ugandan rebels retreated under artillery fire. The Tanzanians subsequently launched a counterattack, retaking Lukaya and killing hundreds of Libyans and Ugandans.
The Battle of Masaka was a battle of the Uganda–Tanzania War that took place on 23 and 24 February 1979 in the town of Masaka, Uganda. Following artillery bombardment, most of the Ugandan government forces fled and Tanzanian and Ugandan rebel forces captured the town.
The Battle of Entebbe was a battle of the Uganda–Tanzania War that took place on 7 April 1979 on the Entebbe peninsula in Uganda between Tanzanian units and Ugandan and Libyan units. The Tanzanians occupied the area, killed hundreds of Libyans, and ended the Libyan airlift in support of the Ugandan government.
The siege of Masaka was a battle of the Ugandan Bush War that took place from 25 September to 10 December 1985 in which forces of the National Resistance Army (NRA) besieged and eventually captured the large Ugandan town of Masaka, from the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA).
The Battle of Gayaza Hills or the Battle of Kajurungusi was a conflict of the Uganda–Tanzania War that took place in late February 1979 around the Gayaza Hills and Lake Nakivale in southern Uganda, near the town of Gayaza. Tanzanian troops attacked the Ugandan positions in the hills, and though suffering heavy casualties in an ambush, they successfully captured the area by the end of the day.
The 1972 invasion of Uganda was an armed attempt by Ugandan insurgents, supported by Tanzania, to overthrow the regime of Idi Amin. Under the orders of former Ugandan President Milton Obote, insurgents launched an invasion of southern Uganda with limited Tanzanian support in September 1972. The rebel force mostly consisted of the "People's Army" whose forces were mainly loyal to Obote, but also included guerillas led by Yoweri Museveni. The operation was hampered by problems from the start, as a planned rebel commando raid had to be aborted, Amin was warned of the impending invasion, and the rebels lacked numbers, training, and equipment. Regardless, the militants occupied a few towns in southern Uganda at the invasion's start. However, no major popular uprising erupted as Obote had hoped.
The Battle of Kabamba, also known as the First Battle of Kabamba, was the result of an attempt by Popular Resistance Army (PRA) rebels to capture an armoury at the Kabamba Military Barracks, defended by the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) and Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA). The battle marked the PRA's entry in the Ugandan Bush War.
