Almost five years later, on January 26, 1986, the rebels under Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and with Tumwine as one of the top commanders, shot their way into Kampala and captured political power.
For at least three years after the take-over, Tumwine was the army commander of NRA, which would later be renamed Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). He would also serve as the director general of the External Security Organisation (ESO).
He would go on to serve as a representative of the same army in parliament for 35 years, playing a role in the National Resistance Council (NRC), the Constituent Assembly (CA) and in the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th parliaments. He served as a legislator until May 2021.
The four-star general also served as chairman of the highest military court, the General Court Martial and minister of Security. On the list of the “original NRA 27”, or 41, the group of rebel fighters that travelled to attack Kabamba Military Training School in Mubende district in February 1981, Tumwine’s name is number two. Number one is Gen Yoweri Museveni, who has been President of Uganda since January 1986 when the rebels captured power.
This list meant everything to Tumwine that the local media in early 2002 reported an incident in which he disagreed with the then army commander, Maj Gen James Kazini. In the exchange that followed, Tumwine reportedly asked Kazini: “Look at the list of the original 27 and show me your name.”
Perhaps his last statement as a public officer is the one most people remember most. In 2020, as minister of Security, Tumwine said the police had a right to shoot and kill people if they went beyond “a certain level of violence.” He always pulled out the army card whenever he wanted to show might, intimidate or obstruct justice.
For example in July this year, a case was opened up against him at Kazo police station after he obstructed the execution of a court order which instructed Steven Rwanyabushozi to open up an access road in Burunga sub county. He deployed military vehicles and soldiers and threatened to shoot any police officers or court bailiffs who dared to step on Rwanyabushozi’s land.
The court order resulted from a judgment by the Kazo chief magistrate that pronounced itself on November 21, 2021, in a civil case where Grace Kakirenga the complainant accused her son Steven Rwanyabushozi, the defendant, of blocking an access road to her home.
The court ruling was in favour of Kakirenga – ordering Rwanyabushozi to unblock the access road and also awarded costs of Shs 24 million to Kakirenga, however, Rwanyabushozi defied court orders and was subsequently arrested. Tumwine would forcefully release Rwanyabushozi and also tore to pieces the court order.
Tumwine part of the law
Section 15 of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces Act, 2005 establishes the High Command of the Defence Forces whose chairperson is the President of Uganda. Under sub-section C of the same Act, all those individuals who were part of the NRA High Command on January 26, 1986, automatically became part of the High Command of the UPDF.
The third schedule to the Act lists six individuals who, by virtue of being members of the NRA High Command in January 1986, qualified to sit on the UPDF High Command in perpetuity. The six are Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Elly Tumwine, Salim Saleh Akandwanaho, David Tinyefuza (who later changed his name to Sejusa), Eriya Kategaya and Matayo Kyaligonza. So, the name Elly Tumwine is written in the laws of Uganda.
However, little has been written about Tumwine’s life outside the military and without a uniform. What was his childhood like? And how did he fall in love with his first and perhaps the most cherished career as a fine artist.
Childhood, surviving early death
Born in Burunga in Mbarara district on April 12, 1954, Tumwine went to Burunga primary school, Mbarara High School and St. Henry’s College Kitovu.
In his brief message announcing Tumwine’s death, on Thursday morning, President Museveni confirmed that he had taught the departed general at Burunga primary school in 1967 during his internship. As many mourn his passing, it’s nothing short of a miracle that he had lived to the age of 68.
In childhood, Tumwine survived death five times. He had three snake bites that nearly took his life. In 1963, he and some of his family members survived a lightning strike on their house. His elder brother died in the fateful strike while his younger brother died months after. Tumwine survived severe burns on the stomach, which were treated at Mubende hospital.
Later, as a rebel combatant, on November 1, 1981, during one of the many ambushes he commanded against the government forces, Tumwine was shot in the face and lost an eye. Secretly, he took a high-risk decision to travel from Bukomero near Kiboga district to Mulago Referral hospital for treatment.
Until his death, Tumwine has been using November 1st each year to launch his songs and art pieces in remembrance of the day he nearly died.
Interest in fine art
Tumwine previously shared that his interest in fine art was purely accidental. He claimed that he joined the fine art class because of the then-famous guitarist, Rock Ruganzi, who had been hired by Mbarara High School to teach the subject. The young Tumwine was then only interested in playing Ruganzi’s guitar.
“I got interested in art not because of anything else but to enjoy Ruganzai’s guitar in the art room. By the end of senior one, he is the one who advised me that when you reach senior four, do art as your fourth principal,” Tumwine said earlier.
Tumwine would have joined Ntare School for his A’level but Ntare did not teach fine art, so he joined St. Henry’s College Kitovu where he was inspired by Prof Francis Xavier Musango Gwa Ntamu.
“I had wanted to be a lawyer like my cousins John Wycliffe Kazoora and Grace Ibingira. But Francis Musango Gwa Ntamu told us that when you are an artist, you don’t have to look for a job,” said Tumwine.
In 1974, Twmwine was admitted to the Makerere University School of Fine Art for a degree in fine art and a concurrent diploma in education. His love for art also saw him occupy the government-owned Nomo Art Gallery in Nakasero since 1986 and refuse to pay rent or vacate even when urged by parliament and the Auditor General.
Campus photographer
“I’m the one who started this giving of photographs immediately after the event. And we started with a boxing event in the Main Mall. Then after that, we did sports at a football field,” narrated Tumwine.
Each time there was a major event at parliament or at the army headquarters; Tumwine would be seen seemingly competing with journalists for a vintage spot to take the best shot.
In November 2021, Tumwine launched his book titled “Liberated My Art Life” in which he partly documented his life as an art student at Makerere University. “During my youth, in spite of the challenges of a bad regime, my art life at Makerere was very exciting. Mainly not because of anything else, I was liberated to think freely. That is why I’m calling my book liberated,” he revealed.
Liberation of the mind was very important for Tumwine: “For art, you are exposed to blow your mind free and create the limit. You are taught how to look at things in a more objective way. Then you are taught how to capture moments with your pen, your pencil,” he said.
No neckties
It is from studying fine art that Tumwine would pick an interest in freedom and liberation.
“There is nothing as liberating as you having the freedom and the means to create what is not there. And that is why I will never follow who designed a tie. Because really what is the purpose of a tie? That’s a rope around someone’s neck. But people just follow because one person designed it,” joked Tumwine who was famous for his round-necked shirts. Tumwine designed his own shirts.
He was a member of Lumumba Hall while at Makerere and later served as its patron. Tumwine forever remained indebted to Makerere.
“My years at Makerere were very important. They were fundamental in transforming the rest of my life. My thinking, my philosophy, my happiness, my joy my everything,” he said.
When Uganda hosted the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summit in Kampala, in 1975, Tumwine was the secretary general of the Fine Art Students’ Association. He, together with other students, was tasked to draw a massive portrait of then President Idi Amin Dada.
The portrait measuring 16 by 10 metres was to be displayed at the stadium. While the lecturers feared taking on the task, they asked Tumwine and three others to draw the portrait.
“The beauty of it was that we were paid good money. We were paid Shs 1.6 million. It was the first time I opened a bank account. I said bye to poverty,” he wrote.
Later in life, Tumwine was part of the team of experts that designed the current Shs 5,000. Designed in 2010, the note would go on to be voted one of the most beautiful currency notes in the world. The International Bank Note Society (IBNS) ratings in 2013 cited the note’s distinctly rich and well-designed features to score it as the third most beautiful currency in the world.
Tumwine is also said to have designed some of the camouflage uniforms for the army.
At Makerere during Amin regime
In 1976, Tumwine would participate in the historical strike following the killing of a student, Paul Sserwanga. Sserwanga was brutally murdered by suspected State Research Bureau operatives. Tumwine played a leading role in the protest that followed Sserwanga’s shooting. He and others printed the placards for the protest.
He joined a protest called by Lumumba Hall chairperson, Kagata Namiti, for a march from Makerere to the City Square up to Kibuli where Sserwanga was buried. That day turned out to be the infamous “Black Tuesday” in Makerere University’s history.
Tumwine narrowly escaped arrest by hiding in the wardrobe as soldiers broke into halls of residence targeting students that had participated in the strike. He joined the likes of Kizza Besigye, Henry Tumukunde, and David Tinyefunza aka David Sejusa. This group would later work together as NRA rebel fighters and leaders in government. Some like Besigye, Tumukunde and Sejusa have since fallen out with the system they helped establish, accusing Museveni of derailing off the course to pursue personal interests and gains.
Shortly after the official opening of Lumumba Hall in 1971, the Uganda Army soldiers raided Mary Stuart, or Box, the female hall of residence next to the boys hall, Lumumba. Students of Lumumba engaged the soldiers in a fight. It is from this point on, a Lumumba-Box or Lumbox solidarity was born. A monument, Gongom was erected to honour the occasion.
Gongom is seen as a defender and protector of the Lumbox students. It is addressed as His Majesty, Highness, and dressed in a graduation gown and sometimes a gomesi. This graduation attire is meant to inspire students to read and work hard but is also a symbol of unity while the gomesi attire is meant to inspire motherhood for ‘Box’ girls.
In one of the strikes in the 1970s, Gongom was destroyed. According to Tumwine, “We discovered that Gongom had been destroyed, and this time we made a big sculpture together with Kibira who was good in metal welding. So we said let’s give Gongom a real height, give him a long manhood [always draped in a condom to remind students about safe sex], to show that he is in charge of this place.” He added: “After some time, we said Gongom can’t be alone, and then we went and sculptured Gongomes.”
In 1978, Tumwine abandoned his teaching job to join the rebel FRONASA forces led by Yoweri Museveni.
“When I joined the armed forces, I did everything from cooking to carrying luggage. Because the president had taught me in P7, and when I heard that he was the one leading the group, and we were tired of Idi Amin, I joined him,” he said.
In 1981, when Museveni went to the bush to form NRA, Tumwine went with him. In May 2022, on the day he was formally discharged from the army he had been part of for more than 40 years, Tumwine, in full ceremonial uniform, briefly sang in Kiswahili: “Adui akija, sisi iko tayari”, meaning, “If the enemy comes, we are ready.”
He then added: “This is a great day of saying my institution is giving me a send-off…official, open, public, for everyone to know that we ran our race, we completed our course and we are ready to go. And even if I died now, what has God not done to me? What more can God do to prove that he loved me more?”
First falsely announced dead earlier this year, and again two weeks ago, Tumwine, aged 68, was this time medically pronounced dead at Aga Khan hospital in Nairobi, Kenya yesterday August 25.
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