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Emmanuel Kafuniza, one of the key figures and recruiter in the National Resistance Army (NRA) has died.
His family announced that he passed at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi.
He was 72. In a brief statement shared by the family, they expressed deep sadness over his death and said funeral arrangements would be communicated later.
Born in 1953 to Yosan Kafuniza and E. Kobuhire, both deceased, Kafuniza’s life journey reflected resilience, patriotism, and courage.
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He began his education at Kazo Boarding Primary School, later joining Kitante Hill School for his junior level and Makobore High School for O-Level. It was there that he met future national figures such as Gen Joram Mugume and Jim Muhwezi.
After completing O-Level in 1971, Kafuniza earned a scholarship to study in the United States but could not afford the travel costs.
Instead, he used the Shs2,000 he raised from selling cattle to start a livestock business. His business flourished, but life under the Idi Amin regime turned dangerous.
A brutal encounter at a roadblock in Biharwe in the 1970s changed his course forever, pushing him toward revolutionary politics.
Kafuniza joined the liberation struggle, becoming part of the group that worked closely with Yoweri Museveni and other early revolutionaries.
He helped recruit young fighters and was instrumental in the formation of the Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) and later the National Resistance Army (NRA).
His base in the Rwenzori Mountains played a crucial role in training and supporting fighters who eventually joined Museveni’s group in Luweero.
Following the NRA’s victory, Kafuniza briefly served as deputy chief national commissar and later held local leadership roles.
In his later years, he retired to his home on Rugazi Hill, where he focused on dairy and commercial farming.
Kafuniza is remembered as a steadfast revolutionary and one of the unsung heroes who helped lay the foundation for Uganda’s liberation struggle. He is survived by seven children.