General Elly Tumwine goes to the Lord

By Jjunju Francis

25^th Aug 2022

President Yoweri Museveni has extended his condolences to the family, army and the Country in general for the demise of the  former Security Minister and NRA bush war hero, Gen Elly Tumwine.

Tumwine was pronounced dead this morning 25^th August 2022 from Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was airlifted recently due lung cancer.

Museveni the Commander in Chief of the armed forces in a statement announced the “deep death”, at 5:46am in Nairobi, of General Elly Tumwiine from lung cancer.

He was  one of the 42 people armed with 27 guns who attacked Kabamba barracks to launch the NRA protracted war that five years later in 1986 would usher the current government to power, after  leaving his teaching career in 1978 to join the  FRONASA forces led by Museveni.

In his eulogy, President Museveni said he had earlier taught Tumwine at Burunga Primary School in 1967 in primary school and it is where they first got to know each other.

He joined FRONASA with 9000 others in 1979, went to Monduli Military School in Tanzania and was the one who fired the first shot on February,6, 1981, at Kabamba, at the beginning of the 1981-1986 war of resistance,” Museveni said.

The president said since then, Gen Tumwine has been part of the leadership of the NRA- UPDF as well part of the government in various capacities where he served diligently as the Army Commander, Member of High Command, Director-General Intelligence, Minister of Security.

Joining the army in 1978 , Tumwine later joined then rebel leader Yoweri Museveni to the bush to form the National Resistance Army (NRA).

In 1984, he was named commander of the army, a post he held for three years until 1987, when he was succeeded by General Salim Saleh.

In September 2005, he was promoted to the rank of general in the UPDF and chairperson of the UPDF General Court Martial in Makindye where among the persons arraigned before him was opposition strongman, Dr.Kizza Besigye and charged with treason.

The case was later transferred to the civilian court.

During his career, Gen Tumwine also served as Minister of State for Defence in 1989, Director General of the External Security Organization (ESO) from 1994 until 1996, presidential adviser  on security from 1996 until 1998, chairman of the High Command Appeals Committee from 1986 until 1999.

Tumwine has also previously represented the UPDF in the Parliament.