President Yoweri Museveni’s government has announced the program for the burial of former security minister Gen Elly Tumwine.
The funeral program was released by Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of Information, Communications Technology and National Guidance on Saturday, August 27.
Minister Dr Baryomunsi reiterated that Gen Tumwine had passed on at the Aga Khan Hospital Nairobi at 06:46am on Thursday, and that his remains were flown into the country on Friday, August 26 in the evening.
According to the program for the the final sendoff of the late Gen Elly Tumwiine, the official vigil will be held on Sunday, August 28, at 4pm at the deceased’s home in Nakasero in the capital Kampala.
On Monday, August 29, national prayers will be held at the Kololo Independence Grounds starting at 10am. The public congregation is expected to start assembling at 8am.
The general will then be laid to rest at his home in Mukuru, Rwemikoma in Kazo District on Tuesday, August 30, starting with a service at 10am.
The national army, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), through its spokesperson Brig Gen Felix Kulayigye (who doubles as spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs – MoDVA), has issued an almost similar statement on the funeral arrangements and program.
Here’s the UPDF’s full statement:
“Following the safe return of the body of the Late Gen Elly Tumwine from Nairobi on Friday 26th August 2022, the Ministry of Defence and UPDF, together with the family of the deceased have harmonised the funeral programme as indicated here below:
- Sunday 28th August 2022 – Official Vigil at the Residence of the deceased in Nakasero, Kampala starting at 4:00 pm.
- Monday 29th August 2022 – Requiem Service at Kololo Independence Grounds, starting at 10:00 am. Thereafter the body will be transported to the ancestral home in Mukuru, Rwemikoma Sub County, – Kazo District.
- Tuesday 30th August 2022 – Requiem Service at the deceased’s country home in Mukuru Rwemikoma, Kazo District and thereafter burial at the same place.
There will be invitations for some categories of mourners for the requiem service at Kololo. Those to be invited will be contacted by the Directorate of Protocol and will be required to undergo COVID 19 tests at Kololo Independence Grounds on Sunday 28th August 2022. The rest of the mourners willing to join the requiem service at Kololo are equally welcome and will be duly guided by Protocol on the sitting arrangement, in view of the prevailing situation of the COVID 19 pandemic.
Mourners at all the venues indicated above are reminded to strictly adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures for prevention of the spread of COVID 19.
May the Almighty God Rest the Soul of the Late General Elly Tumwine in Eternal Peace.
The official announcement of Rwemikoma, Kazo District as the final resting place for Gen Tumwine’s body means that the proposal to bury Tumwine, the man famous for firing the first shot that started Museveni’s National Resistance Army (NRA) bush war, at Kololo Heroes Cemetery has been rejected. The proposal had been made by a senior government official. (Read Story Here).
Meanwhile, long before he died, Gen Elly Tumwine had delivered his final warning and message to Museveni regarding the future of Uganda. (See Details Here).
