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I am Brian Magezi 40 years , I attend Kampala
Pentecostal Church-Uganda where I minister in the choir, I also volunteer
with wells of Hope –Prison Outreach, I was born in a middle class
family in Kampala Uganda.
For the biggest part of my life I studied in Kampala schools including
Kitante Hill School, However, I dropped out in 1981 in senior two to join
the Guerilla war that rocked Uganda between 1981 and 1986.
I started my contacts to join the war late 1981 and early 1982, I was
on training (under C-coy NRA, I did the full training after which I worked
as an instructor in militias.
I had lived an easier life earlier on before joining the bush war, but later it became so hard; most of the times we lived on stolen food, and clothes, operations were really harsh, we were sleeping in the cold, deep in the forest, and life was like that for nearly five years, I lived another life all together.
I lost several people including the guy who introduced me to the struggle
and my father, who was shot.
In 1986 the bush war came to a close, I came back home but life was still
hopeless.
In March 1987 I was arrested and got locked up in a wall cupboard with
two others, where we stayed for two weeks, without bathing, there was
no sunlight
and having meals was by chance. I recall when we were in the bush we would
get locked up if you would commit an offence but this was in trenches
which was better, at least you would be allowed to come out and bath.
We were later transferred to the Central Police and later on
to Luzira upper prison after appearing in court, under heavy guard. In
Luzira Upper prison, we were put into isolated cells under special watch.
It was even worse; you only get out to bathe and to pour out your waste
(Human waste) if any. I stayed in those cells for a full year except for
the two weeks I was put on punishment in a condemned section- a very scaring
section.
After one year in Prison, we escaped with two other friends but on reaching
home I was abandoned by my family, so I decided to go and camp in a forest
with dry rations (beans, posho etc), I would only sneak out to buy cigarettes
and foodstuff after every four days.
My worst experience was when hunters trapped me, I had hanged all my clothes
and for a whole night I was naked.
I then moved out of the bush in April 1989. Many of the guys who I thought
were my close friends could not welcome me. I did not have any money on
me, and my feeding was really poor, .I would move under cover in town
until one day I got a proper hideout deep in the village. I was still
young, so I disguised myself as a young boy, and I would put on shorts
most times instead of trousers. I was tired of life and I did not want
to get into trouble again. I had been to many prisons and I knew the cost
of crime, I was a strong man but I felt so tired.
I recall sometime back in Nakasero-Kampala Pastor Robert Kayanja of Miracle
Center Cathedral, conducted a crusade near my home, so I had heard the
gospel, and therefore I got to know about the saving grace of Jesus but
I refused to commit my life to Jesus and, I would never go to church.
Like the Bible says, " Come to me all you who labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Mat 11:28. One day, some preachers who
were moving house-to-house, came and I told them that I wanted to get
saved. I confessed Christ with their assistance.
Somehow I feared being in the open and I never became serious with the
word, I was hand in hand with the world.
I got re-arrested and taken to several safe houses (secret isolation cells)
and later taken to court and I was remanded to Luzira upper prison;
Life was rough for an escapee (a person who had escaped from the prison),
I didn't expect anything good in prison, because everybody had given up
on me.
Even My relatives didn't want anything concerning me, but I thank
God the Almighty who didn't give up on me .I was taken to VIP wing of
the prison, where I stayed as the youngest inmate. I had a chance to confess
Jesus Christ as Lord of my life again and I fully accepted Christ as my
personal savior; although I was supposed to be in isolation I was given
an opportunity to go for prayers in a small room outside my wing in the
prison.
I pleaded guilty to the escapee case and I was sentenced for 12 months,
then I was bailed out in 1992.
I started going to church in Victory Christian Center - Ndeeba, Kampala.
I got married later and God blessed us with two daughters but unfortunately
the marriage didn't work out; we got separated and many friends left me.
I stopped going to church for a for some time but a friend encouraged
me and I started attending Kampala Pentecostal Church where I joined a
cell(small bible study group) and the choir ministry.
While listening to Power FM ,a local Christian radio station, I heard brother Francis Ssuubi talking about Wells of Hope Ministries, , and he was inviting people to join the prison ministry and this is what I had longed to do so I joined as a volunteer.
I thank God who started the good works in me and shall keep it to
completion. Like Paul, Being confident of this very thing, that he which
hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus
Christ: Phi 1:6
