Sad News: NRA Liberation Commander Gen Elly Tumwine is Dead

Former Security Minister Gen Elly Tumwine has Thursday morning passed on.

The NRA historical Commander, according to a high ranking UPDF source, breathed his last from Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was airlifted two weeks ago.

Last month Relatives and associates reported that he booked into Nakasero Hospital, later Mulago Hospital in Kampala from where he was airlifted to Nairobi.

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. Tumwine was born on April, 12 1954, in 1978, he interrupted his teaching career to join the FRONASa forces led by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to fight the Idi Amin regime. He is reported to have fired the first shot in the NRA war which propelled them into power in 1986.

During the fighting between the NRA and the UNLA, Tumwine sustained facial injuries that led to loss of sight in one eye.

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

Over the years, he served in various positions, including:

• Minister of State for Defence in 1989.
• Director General of the External Security Organization (ESO) from 1994 until 1996.
• Presidential Adviser from 1996 until 1998
• Chairman of the High Command Appeals Committee from 1986 until 1999.

He has also continuously represented the UPDF in parliament since 1986.

In September 2005, he was promoted to the rank of general in the UPDF and named to chair the UPDF General Court Marshal.

On Monday 16 May 2022, Tumwiine was among 34 generals who were retired from the UPDF.