Former Uganda Minister for Security General (Rtd) Elly Tumwiine has died while receiving treatment in Nairobi, Kenya.
In a statement on Thursday, August 25, 2022, Uganda President Yoweri Museveni said that he died at 5.46am at the age of 68. Tumwiine succumbed to lung cancer, according to Museveni.
“With deep sorrow, I announce the death of General Elly Tumwiine which occurred at 5:46am this morning in Nairobi, from lung cancer. According to his widow, with whom I have just talked to on the telephone, Gen. Tumwiine was now 68 years old,” President Museveni said.
Museveni termed Tumwiine as a hardworking military man.
“He has been a dedicated and hard-working cadre. More will be said about him later. Condolences to his family, to the NRA-UPDF- NRM fraternity and to all Ugandans. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” Museveni added.
Tumwiine as a commander of NRA
Tumwiine served as commander of the National Resistance Army from 1984 to 1987.
Previously, he was a member of the Front for National Salvation (FRONASA), a Ugandan rebel group that was led by Museveni. The group emerged in 1971, although it was formally founded in 1973.
“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 the 6th February 1981, at Kabamba, at the beginning of the 1981-1986 war of Resistance. Since that time, Gen. Tumwiine has been part of the leadership of the NRA- UPDF as well as serving the government in various capacities. Those capacities included being Army- Commander, member of the High Command, Director-General of Intelligence, Minister of Security,” Museveni said.
He served as the Security Minister in the Cabinet of Uganda, from March 2018 until 2021. He retired from active military service in July 2022.
