Ignore those speaking ill of the late, Museveni advises Tumwine's family

Museveni was speaking at the State funeral service for the late Gen. Tumwine held at Kololo Independence grounds.

Tumwine, who was part of the 41 men who attacked Kabamba Barracks in February 1981 and thereby triggered a bush war against the regime of Milton Obote, died in Nairobi hospital on Thursday last week while undergoing treatment for lung cancer.

He was 68 years of age.

The war Tumwine and others waged against the Obote regime led to Yoweri Museveni seizing power in January 1986.

Thereupon, the late Tumwine went on to serve as the Army Commander, Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) representative in Parliament, Director General of the External Security Organisation (ESO), Chairman of the UPDF General Court Martial, Security Minister, and presidential advisor among others.

According to Museveni, Tumwine fired the first shot in the bush war and he was shot in the eye. This injury didn’t stop his participation in the war, Museveni said, while appealing to Uganda’s young generation to emulate the spirit of patriotism and sacrifice that Tumwine exhibited.

Museveni said that the first gun shot fired by Tumwine at Kabamba was opening salvo in the National Resistance Army’s successful attempt to capture guns from the armoury.

Then, turning his attention to those who have celebrated Tumwine’s death, Museveni appealed to Tumwine’s family not to mind about statements made by a section of Ugandans about the late, saying that the talk amounts to nothing.

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