General Yoweri Museveni drew on bush-war execution of an errant fighter in his then National Resistance Army (NRA) guerilla ranks to send an ominous warning about indiscipline and corrution.
While delivering his post-Budget Reading remarks at Kololo Airstrip on Thursday, the President recalled the tough decision his high command had to take to order the public execution of two fighters who had used their guns to torment civilians.
The story of Zabron has been told many times as a mark of treachery where that of Edidian Lutamaguzi is used for bravery and heroism.
"While in Semuto, a one Zabron and a colleague drunk beer and ended up shooting three wanainchi," he began. "When we got the news we summoned Zabron and the colleague and Jim Muhwezi suggested that Zabron didn't kill the wanainchi, it was the beer in him."
But the High Command under Museveni's leadership tried the two errant guerilla fighters and took the tough decision to have them executed in public.
"We shot Zabron and the friend to show the people that we were a disciplined Army," Museveni said.
"That's how we retained the trust of Baganda. Otherwise, we were finished."
In reminiscing the grim incident during the protracted guerilla warfare, Mr Museveni was literally sending a message to leaders accused of corruption, who he vowed to crash decisively.
Three legislators were this week arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court and sent on remand in prison over allegations of negotiating kickbacks to raise the Budget of Uganda Human Rights Commission.
Lwengo Woman MP Cissy Namujju, Bunyole East MP Yusuf Mutembuli, and Paul Akamba of Busiki Constituency are widely believed to be tasting the cells ahead of many more MPs and Finance and Parliament officials to be prosecuted.
But Museveni warned that the silence of people does not indicate ignorance of ongoing events.
"Therefore, be careful with Ugandans they will watch you and keep quiet but when that happens you are finished," he said.
"As NRM, we will ensure to retain trust among Ugandans, and now that we know that there are people who don't listen, we shall smash them."
The President said corrupt officials were traitors like Zabron and warned that he would stamp them out.
