Vocal Bush War Generals Leave Museveni Army

National Resistance Army (NRA) bush war generals are among scores of officers that will officially retire from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), the national army, this week. 

In an event that will take two days, Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni, Uganda’s President and Commander in Chief (CiC) of armed forces, is expected to preside the retirement of about 40 UPDF officers.

The ceremony will take place at the Defense and Vetetan Affairs Ministry offices in Mbuya on Monday, May 16 and Tuesday May 17 beginning at 9am.

Atop the list of those retiring from the national army are two bush war generals: Gen Elly Tumwine, a former army commander and ex-security minister; as well as former coordinator of intelligence services Gen David Sejusa (previously Tinyefuuza).

For years, Sejusa has been waiting for praying and hoping that Museveni will retire him. He even took the matter to court. But now, the CiC has allowed the former spymaster to retire from the army. In fact when Gen Sejusa first applied to leave the army in the 1990s, some of today’s generals had not even joined the UPDF.

Besides the two generals, Museveni has also allowed three officers at the rank of lieutenant general to retire. These are:  Lt Gen John Mugume, Lt Gen Prossy Nalweyiso and Lt. Gen. Andrew Gutti, the Chairman of the Court Martial.

The following officers at the rank of Major General are also retiring this week: Stephen Kashaka, Ronald Kakari Tumwine, Manoni Phinehas Kaitirima, Elly Kayanja, Geofrey Balaba Muheesi, Burundi Kitafa Nyamunywanisa, David Kyomukama Kasura, Micheal Ondoga, Gavas Mugyenyi and Octavius Butuuro.

Gen Museveni has also allowed a number of officers at the rank of Brigadier General to retire.

It remains to be seen what the next moves for the retiring generals such as Sejusa and Tumwine will be. A number of Museveni’s bush war comrades such as Dr Kizza Besigye and Mugisha Muntu have turned his political opponents.

Sejusa has been in the political for years while Tumwine was dropped from cabinet in June 2021. After being fired as minister, Gen Tumwine warned that Museveni should be saved from becoming a ‘ngamba-nyenka’ or dictator, and that he should be given an honorable retirement. (Read Story Here).

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