"THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM SOBIBOR," he said braggartly as he moved out of a wood and tin video hall in the ghettos of Kisenyi, back in the late 90s.
The trending movie then was called 'Escape from Sobibor,' a story of a concentration camp called Sobibor in Nazi Germany in the 1940's that saw thousands of Jews oppresed and killed. He since nicknamed himself Sobibor.
Over the years, the name was shortened to Sobbi. During some of our engagements in clubs and dance halls or whenever we met at various boxing events or gyms, he would flash his trademark knuckle which looked like a small stone placed at the back of his finger. "Sobi alina knuckle elinga Dduulu," we would joke.
Despite his gangster character, he was my friend for so many years. He would privately, and sometimes publically talk about how he was always used by senior government officials to commit crimes like robberies and land grabs on their behalf only to be imprisoned alone.
Like many talented boxers of my generation have been used against their people only to be eliminated when they're no longer needed, Sobbi faced the same fate. During the 2021 elections, he was used to trail and harrass me, his own, old ghetto friend. He conducted the abduction and disapearance of over 50 of our friends, including fellow boxers like Vegas Lubega.
Some of these who were lucky to return, narrated the ordeal they went through at Lwamayuba island in Kalangala where they were kept incommunicado; tortured, and treated as slaves for over a year. They spoke of how some were summarily executed and fed to crocodiles. Many of them have never been seen again.
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All this time, he was working under Kaka Bagyenda, then the head of ISO. When I last met Sobi about 6 months ago (he reached out to me), he told me that he was doing all this dirty regime work because it was his only way to stay alive.
"Bro, you know I have no problem with you but if I don't take their orders, they will eliminate me." he said to me.
I reminded him of Zebra, Kitatta, Isma Ichuli, and many others who have been used and later eliminated by the same regime. I told him that after being used, he would be eliminated in the most disgraceful manner.
"You will never be one of them, and they will never love you." I told him. "They will use you against your own people and after your people have hated you enough, they will get rid of you like a useless piece of rubbish."
He even complained about the many people he started with but because of their connections in the regime, they had long been promoted to big offices leaving him to stay doing the dirty sreet work.
I asked him to name just one person from this region who has been used against his or her people that ended up well but he couldn't name even one. I told him to expect nothing but the worst ending.
When I saw his body lying down like a dead dog, I remembered these words. Sobbi was a fool to think that he was one of them. Unfortunately, THEY NEVER LEARN!
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