Kyaka

Kyaka - 1978 (Uganda-Tanzania War).

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The initial invasion of Tanzania by Uganda.

The Ugandans crossed the border on 25 October 1978.

There was little resistance, with the border at Mutukula being defended by a single platoon and the whole border by a the 3rd Battalion of the 202 Brigade.

However, they reported stiff opposition and advanced slowly, and instead of crossing the Kagera River at Kyaka, they stopped to regroup and blew the bridge up. By blowing the bridge up they denied themselves the opportunity to advance through Kyaka and onto Bukoba. It also gave the Tanzanians the ability to hold at Kyaka and deploy their artillery there to bombard the area notrth of the river whilst reinforcements were sent.

Following on from this the Tanzanians later used briding equipment to cross the river elsewhere and make a landing on the northern river bank and then used British bridgelaying equipment to cross the destroyed span at the Kyaka bridge, which whilst having had its span blow apart, still had its main pillars intact, making it usable with the bridging equipment. The initial pontoon bridge elsewhere on the river was goof for troops and light vehicles and artillery, but would not support armour.

The Tanzanians later find the Ugandans had detroyed much of what was north og the river and had fallen back to Mutukula  where they attacked them and literally raised the entire town with bulldozers and killed anyone that was found.

see War In Uganda - The Lagacy of Idi Amin, Tony Avirgan and Martha Honey

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