FACT CHECK: Here’s the Truth About Gen Salim Saleh Death Rumors

For days now, some ‘heartless’ people have been spreading reports that Gen Caleb Akandwanaho aka Gen Salim Saleh, a younger brother to Uganda’s President Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni, is either sick or dead. 

While this is not the first time social media sadists and ‘witches’ are claiming that Gen Saleh is either critically sick or dead, the recent rumors were sparked by the general’s absence at the national funeral and burial ceremony of former security minister Gen Elly Tumwine.

The social media ‘witches’ argued that there is no way Gen Salim Saleh would have missed the funeral ceremonies of his bush war comrade Gen Tumwine, a man he fought with in the jungles of Luweero during the 1981-86 National Resistance Army (NRA) bush war that catapulted Gen Museveni to power, making him rule Uganda since then.

These same ‘witches’ also claimed that they had not seen Gen Saleh, the national coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), for many weeks, and that there could be something wrong with him.

OWC Director of Operations Sylivia Owori has been quoted as saying that Gen Saleh is alive, well and doing his work of transforming Uganda. Owori is said to have argued that there was no way the nation would not know if a man like Gen Saleh had passed on since even the President’s Office would come out and make an official announcement.

“Gen Salim Saleh is a public figure and for someone of his stature, news about his death would have been widely published and a statement from the Office of the President would be issued already, which has not been the case,” Owori was quoted as telling Boom, a local entertainment and gossip blog.

“It is unfortunate that people would go around spreading such allegations. I would love to state that Gen Salim Saleh is in good health and is doing his work in Kapeeka where he is based. The claims of his death are false.”

The publication also claimed to have talked to Gen Saleh and that the man had dismissed the reports of his death as “false” and that the general, speaking from Kapeeka, sounded “alive and well.”

This was not the first time Gen Salim Saleh was said to be sick or dead when he is actually going about his work in Kapeeka.

Towards the end of June 2022, Gen Saleh appeared at Our Lady Consolata Kapeeka Church for a mass at a time when some people had announced him dead.

“Some people have announced me dead but I am here in Nakaseke  talking to my people,” Saleh said.

“Tell those that are spreading the false rumours that we have seen Saleh working and mobilising people to get better through engaging in development projects.”

In an increasingly angry country where some people wish certain employees in government dead, it is not uncommon for senior government officials to be declared critically sick or dead when they going about their work.

There was a time social media users declared President Museveni dead only for the general from Rwakitura to surface at an event appearing healthy and well. (Read Story Here).

It is clear that the latest episode of rumors about Gen Saleh have been sparked off by his failure to attend funeral ceremonies for fallen general Elly Tumwine.

Elly Tumwine was laid to rest last week in Kazo District. (Read Story Here).

Some people used social media to celebrate Gen Tumwine’s death. Senior government officials such as Internal Affairs Minister Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire said it was only fools who quarrel with the dead, adding that people had a right to be stupid. (Read Story Here).

Otafiire also revealed Gen Elly Tumwine’s last message to surviving NRA bush war generals. Months before he died, Gen Tumwine had also sent his final public warning and message to President Museveni. (Read Stories Here and There).