Breaking the chains

It has often been said that experience is the best teacher. One man that understands that pretty well is Maj. Gen. Pecos Kutesa. A soldier of varlour who fought like a jungle cat along with those that brought President Museveni to power and wrote a colourful book about it, he literally had the world at his feet but was nearly plunged into an early grave by alcoholism.

Maj. Gen. Pecos Kutesa

He started imbibing at the age 18, and 30 years later, had been reduced to a messed-up hommie, if you may excuse the expression. During the premiere of the latest NTV show, Life Stories, on Monday, he told viewers three quarters of his liver is a donation from his wife after the rest of his original was destroyed by alcohol, removed and thrown away in an operation that lasted 18 hours.

If you don't know, the liver is the largest internal organ in humans, and one of the most important. This he knew but could not break the addiction that he says was "nauseating and challenging to his family." Every drop of waragi was a catalyst for the devastation that soon sent him into coma for four months.

Not even his only brother was willing to risk his life by donating part of his liver to save a man who had shunned advice to quit boozing. But Pecos's wife, Dora, stuck closer than the brother by offering to become the desperately needed donor even when she was aware of the possibility of losing her own life in the process. Thankfully both operations were successful.

It marked the soldier's transition from notoriety to sobriety. He had been sacked from the army 14 years earlier, and now was recalled and promoted from Colonel to Major General because the President knew his former Aide de Camp had learned his lesson and would never stain his decorated uniform with alcohol again.

He has since launched a determined campaign to give optimism to those still enslaved, saying, hey, I was lucky my wife donated a liver, but you might not get as lucky, why not quit the bottle now before it's too late.

Even of more significance, the story of this UPDF soldier and his wife demonstrates that everyone deserves to be understood, prayed for, loved and helped without giving up because they all can break the chains and reclaim their honour in the land of the living.