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 .
His life and career
Tumwine was born on April 12, 1954, in Burunga, Mbarara District. He attended Burunga Primary School, Mbarara High School and St. Henry’s College Kitovu, before joining Makerere University, where he graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art in 1977.
He subsequently graduated from the Cadet Officers Course at the Tanzania Military Academy at Monduli. He also attended the Senior Command Course at the Uganda Senior Command and Staff College at Kimaka, in Jinja. Tumwine also held further military qualifications from the military academy in Vystry in the Soviet Union.
The four-star military general served as the Commander of the NRA until 1987. President museveni appointed him the State Minister of Defence. He later served as Security Minister from 2018 to 2021. He was a senior presidential adviser at the time of his death.
Was a family man too
Elly and his wife have been married for a very long time.
They were blessed with two children: Cynthia and Eriya Tumwine Junior. In addition, Elly tied the knot Jolly Tumwine at state House Entebbe on February 7, 1987, inviting only twenty guests and they opted not to have any pre- or post-wedding ceremonies.
