Gen. Elly Tumwine’s body arrived at Entebbe International Airport last night and was received by UPDF Senior Officers, government officials and family members .
In Mukuru Village, Rwemikoma Sub-county, Kazo County, Kazo District where the Gen. Tumwine will be buried relatives and the residents are preparing for his funeral . Government is yet to release the official burial program .
The Mbarara City Resident Commissioner, Col James Mwesigye, said the general contributed to the liberation struggle of this country.
“He was a patriotic man who served this country diligently, he headed intelligence, and by the time of his death, he was a presidential adviser. He is a man who staked his life and he even lost his eye during the struggle and continued fighting until his death,” Col Mwesigye told the media .
The Kazo male youth councillor, Mr Denis Tumuramye, said Gen Tumwine has been an inspiration to the young generation.
“Having been a graduate from Makerere at that time, leaving all that and sacrificing his life for the good of his country even when he had a stable job is something young people should be able to learn and have the country beyond self. He is someone who would not give handouts but encouraged people to work hard instead of begging,” Mr Tumuramye said.
A combative National Resistance Army (NRA) Luweero bush war veteran -one of the 27 armed men that attacked Kabamba barracks on their way to liberate Uganda – Gen Elly Tumwine has died at the age of 68.Tumwine died from Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was being treated for cancer -related illness.
Tumwine was one of the 42 people armed with 27 guns who attacked Kabamba barracks that led to the NRA protracted f-five year bush war in the jungles of Luweero triangle eventually capturing power in 1986 . Tumwine fired the first bullet to launch the armed struggle and lost one of his eyes in the war.
Just like many of his colleagues Tumwine had abandoned his teaching profession in 1978 to join the liberation struggle led by President Yoweri Museveni under the FRONASA forces at the time .
“We had earlier got in touch and discussed with Museveni who had taught me in primary school that if the 1980 elections were rigged, we could go to the bush as the only way out,”Tumwine told the media in one of his many interviews about his participation in the war .
in January 1986 when they had taken over government Gen. Tumwine was one of the six original members of the NRA High Command which later transformed into the current national army -the UPDF High Command. He went on to serve as member of Parliament representiving the army for over 30 years .
