General Elly Tumwine was a multifaceted individual, renowned for his accomplishments as a National Resistance Army war hero, politician, artist, and educator. Born on April 12, 1954, in Burunga, Mbarara District, Tumwine’s early life was marked by brushes with death, including three snake bites and a lightning strike that killed his two brothers.
Before joining the military, Elly Tumwine was a teacher in Mbarara, Uganda. He later left his teaching career to join the National Resistance Army (NRA), and played a significant role in the Ugandan Bush War.
Tumwine’s interest in fine art was sparked by Rock Ruganzi, a guitarist who taught art at Mbarara High School. He pursued fine art at Makerere University, where he earned a degree in Fine Art and a Diploma in Education. During his time at Makerere, Tumwine was an active member of the Fine Arts Student’s Association and participated in various art projects, including designing a massive portrait of President Iddi Amin.
Tumwine’s military career began in 1978 when he joined the FRONASA forces led by Yoweri Museveni. He played a crucial role in the National Resistance Army’s (NRA) bush war, firing the first shot in the Luwero triangle war. Tumwine went on to serve as Army Commander, Minister of State for Defence, Minister of Security, and Army MP, among other positions ¹.
Throughout his life, Tumwine remained passionate about art, and his work had a lasting impact on Uganda’s cultural landscape. He designed the current five thousand Shillings note and some of the camouflage uniforms for the army. Tumwine’s legacy is complex, and his contributions to Uganda’s history continue to be felt.
