Olivia Zizinga, Museveni’s bush war cook succumbs to COVID-19

RIP Olivia Zizinga

Zizinga passed away at the age of 84, on Saturday at Medical hospital in Kololo due to COVID-19.

Zizinga, along with the late Getrude Njuba, were so close to Museveni that they were not only his cooks during the guerilla war, they ate from the same plate as the commander.

In a 2014 profile article published by daily monitor, Zizinga had this to say:

“I survived the firing squad thrice
There was an incident when a leaf of mujaja (basil) was left in the only kettle we had and appeared in CHC’s cup. (Chairman High Command, as Museveni was referred to then). He had been warned by his auntie who was in the bush that he could be bewitched through mujaja. Coincidentally, he fell sick after that cup of milk, complaining of “something walking along his spine”.

We were thought to have been a threat to his life and we were threatened to be put on firing squad. When Dr Bata examined him, however, he said he was suffering from an amoebiasis. I remember taking turns with Gertrude to stay awake at night to ensure he took his medication and got well. This would be one of the three times I survived a firing squad during that war. From then on, we ate the same food we prepared for him from the same plate, including his chief bodyguard.”

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