Henry Tumukunde
Encyclopedia
Brigadier
Henry Tumukunde
is a Senior Officer of the Uganda People's Defence Force
s and a qualified attorney
. He has served as the UPDF's Chief Of Personnel and Administration, Chief Of Military Intelligence as well as serving as the Commanding Officer
of The UPDF Northern Fourth Division. He has also served as the Director General of The Internal Security Organisation
, ISO. Tumukunde was also an MP
representing the Army in the Parliament of Uganda between 1995 and 2005. He was born in the South Western Part of Uganda
in the District of Rukungiri
and went to Butobere High school and Kibuli Secondary School
. Tumukunde graduated from Makerere University
with an LL.B Bachelor Of Laws.
led by current Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Tumukunde was hounded by the government security services during his last year at the University and on completion, decided to join the struggle, along with some of his friends at the time, Major General Mugisha Muntu
and Colonel Jet Mwebaze (RIP).
His actual journey is well documented in local press due to the fact that Obote's
security services at the time caught wind of their impending departure to the bush and mounted an attack on the NRA's transit house, a shop in the Capital Kampala
. It is said that Tumukunde alongside Muntu posed as a shopkeeper surviving what would have been sure torture and death.
In the early stages of the war, Tumukunde was a machine gun
ner and eventually went on to become on of the senior officers in the rebel army, indicated by his senior number RA 0111.
in Luweero, Tumukunde was shot multiple times in his legs. The wounds were so major that it was thought he would not be able to survive. He was however smuggled out of the country to Nairobi
and eventually to London
where he was operated on.
and appointed first secretary and Military Attache
at the Ugandan Embassy in the United Kingdom
. Subsequently Tumukunde was sent on a Command and Staff Course at the renowned Command and Staff College in Kaduna
, Nigeria
from where he emerged as one of the best students. He later on returned to Uganda where he became the Army's Director of Planning. Tumukunde served in this role for many years and was very instrumental in the set up of formal military structures in the UPDF which had until then been a rebel army.
In 1994 Uganda held election
s for the Constituent Assembly and Tumukunde sought to represent his home county Rubaabo. His main competitor was a government minister and senior figure Prof. Mondo Kagonyera. Tumukunde who was in early thirties at the time was thought to be the underdog in the race however as it turned out, Tumukunde was a very good mobiliser and won by a landslide margin
. Tumukunde then joined the CA which formulated the current 1995 Ugandan Constitution. Tumukunde was known to be a regular and astute contributor to the sessions and debates that preceded the formation of the Constitution.
Following the set-up of the constitution, Uganda held elections and Tumukunde subsequently became a Member of Parliament representing the Army as a special interest group. He went on to serve as an MP until 2005. In addition to this Tumukunde was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
and appointed Chief of Personnel and Administration. In 1998, Tumukunde was again promoted to the rank of Colonel
and appointed Chief of Military Intelligence and Security. His tenure was arguably the most successful by any officer as it is during this time that Al-Qaeda
's plan to bomb the American Embassy was thwarted. There was also a time where bombings were rampant within the Capital Kampala
, and once again Tumukunde formed several intelligence committees within the city and the problem was gotten rid of. Tumukunde also built an amicable rapport with the Muslim community which many had accused of spearheading the attacks, so much so that key intelligence information was forwarded to him with ease. Arguably, it was during his reign that the Ugandan Intelligence apparatus was at its most efficient.
Tumukunde was then promoted to Brigadier General
and transferred to command the UPDF Fourth Division based in Gulu
. At the time, the war with the LRA was ongoing and Tumukunde made significant headway during his time as Division Commanding Officer, in diminishing the threat of the Lord's Resistance Army
.
Tumukunde was then appointed Director General of ISO, the Internal Security Organisation, Uganda's Civil Intelligence Body. During his time at ISO, Tumukunde set up structures that returned ISO to being the country's foremost Intelligence gathering body, just as he had done with CMI. The ISO became renowned for its efficient and effective approach towards Intelligence and Counter-terrorism
.
s that would give President Museveni the Right to stand for re-election on an infinite basis. Tumukunde stated that this would be in direct contravention of the rights that they fought to establish and that he, was not willing to take part in what he considered to be grossly unconstitutional behavior. Predictably this put him at loggerheads with the establishment and more so the President.
. The abuse of office charges were eventually dropped in a manner which suggested that they had been politically motivated in the first instance. What followed was however a surprise to many. Tumukunde was on May 28, 2005, forced to resign from Parliament and subsequently arrested on the orders of the President. It has been speculated that Tumukunde was well aware of what was to befall him before it occurred but felt running away would insinuate guilt on his part and as such decided to weather this mammoth of a storm. His home was surrounded by no less than 50 soldiers commanded by General's Kayihura and Masaba who proceeded to arrest him. Tumukunde was then driven in a tightly guarded convoy to an officers mess turned detention where he was incarcerated for nearly 2 years during which he had limited and tightly controlled contact with the outside world.
His extrajudicial detention
coupled with a series of controversial and uncertain court martial hearings seemed to backfire leading to irreversible pressure which culminated in his release in 2007. Its is widely assumed that his arrest was based on his opposing views to the proposed 'third term' project that suggested a revision to the Ugandan constitution enabling one to serve more than two terms as President as was the case at the time. No concrete evidence attesting to any of the charges has ever been brought forward to this day.
Tumukunde remains one of the most popular and well known figures in Uganda and it is widely thought that his return on the political scene is very imminent.
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Henry Tumukunde
Henry Tumukunde
Brigadier Henry Tumukunde is a Senior Officer of the Uganda People's Defence Forces and a qualified attorney. He has served as the UPDF's Chief Of Personnel and Administration, Chief Of Military Intelligence as well as serving as the Commanding Officer of The UPDF Northern Fourth Division. He has...
is a Senior Officer of the Uganda People's Defence Force
Uganda People's Defence Force
The Uganda Peoples Defence Force , previously the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. The International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates the UPDF has a total strength of 40–45,000, and consists of land forces and an Air Wing.The IISS Military Balance 2007 says there...
s and a qualified attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. He has served as the UPDF's Chief Of Personnel and Administration, Chief Of Military Intelligence as well as serving as the Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of The UPDF Northern Fourth Division. He has also served as the Director General of The Internal Security Organisation
Internal Security Organisation
The Internal Security Organisation is the Uganda government's counter intelligence agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to Uganda's policy makers.It also engages in covert activities at the request of the President of the Uganda.Founded in 1986, The organisation took...
, ISO. Tumukunde was also an MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
representing the Army in the Parliament of Uganda between 1995 and 2005. He was born in the South Western Part of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
in the District of Rukungiri
Rukungiri District
Rukungiri District is a district in Western Uganda. It is named after its 'chief town' of Rukungiri where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
and went to Butobere High school and Kibuli Secondary School
Kibuli Secondary School
Kibuli Secondary School is one of the leading mixed boarding secondary schools in Uganda. Located in the Kibuli suburb in Kampala, the Muslim faith-based but non-sectarian school sits on one of Kampala’s seven hills, Kibuli Hill enjoying a reputation as a leading academic centre with a rich history...
. Tumukunde graduated from Makerere University
Makerere University
Makerere University , Uganda's largest and second-oldest higher institution of learning, , was first established as a technical school in 1922. In 1963 it became the University of East Africa, offering courses leading to general degrees from the University of London...
with an LL.B Bachelor Of Laws.
Joining The NRA guerillas
During his time at Makerere, Tumukunde was involved in anti-government politics which subsequently led to his joining of then rebels, the National Resistance ArmyNational Resistance Army
The National Resistance Army , the military wing of the National Resistance Movement , was a rebel army that waged a guerrilla war, commonly referred to as the Luwero War or "the war in the bush", against the government of Milton Obote, and later that of Tito Okello.NRA was supported by Muammar...
led by current Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Tumukunde was hounded by the government security services during his last year at the University and on completion, decided to join the struggle, along with some of his friends at the time, Major General Mugisha Muntu
Mugisha Muntu
Major General Mugisha Muntuyera, commonly referred to as Mugisha Muntu, is a Ugandan politician and former military officer. He is a member of the Forum for Democratic Change , a Ugandan political party. In 2008, he unsuccessfully contested for the party's presidency, against Kizza Besigye...
and Colonel Jet Mwebaze (RIP).
His actual journey is well documented in local press due to the fact that Obote's
Milton Obote
Apolo Milton Obote , Prime Minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and President of Uganda from 1966 to 1971, then again from 1980 to 1985. He was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda towards independence from the British colonial administration in 1962.He was overthrown by Idi Amin in 1971, but...
security services at the time caught wind of their impending departure to the bush and mounted an attack on the NRA's transit house, a shop in the Capital Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
. It is said that Tumukunde alongside Muntu posed as a shopkeeper surviving what would have been sure torture and death.
In the early stages of the war, Tumukunde was a machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
ner and eventually went on to become on of the senior officers in the rebel army, indicated by his senior number RA 0111.
Getting shot
In 1985, during one of the bigger battles with the UNLAUganda National Liberation Front
The Uganda National Liberation Front was a political group formed by exiled Ugandans opposed to the rule of Idi Amin with an accompanying military wing, the Uganda National Liberation Army . UNLA fought alongside Tanzanian forces in the Uganda-Tanzania War that led to the overthrow of Idi Amin's...
in Luweero, Tumukunde was shot multiple times in his legs. The wounds were so major that it was thought he would not be able to survive. He was however smuggled out of the country to Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
and eventually to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he was operated on.
Post-Bush
On capturing power, Tumukunde promoted to the rank of MajorMajor
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
and appointed first secretary and Military Attache
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
at the Ugandan Embassy in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Subsequently Tumukunde was sent on a Command and Staff Course at the renowned Command and Staff College in Kaduna
Kaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
from where he emerged as one of the best students. He later on returned to Uganda where he became the Army's Director of Planning. Tumukunde served in this role for many years and was very instrumental in the set up of formal military structures in the UPDF which had until then been a rebel army.
In 1994 Uganda held election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
s for the Constituent Assembly and Tumukunde sought to represent his home county Rubaabo. His main competitor was a government minister and senior figure Prof. Mondo Kagonyera. Tumukunde who was in early thirties at the time was thought to be the underdog in the race however as it turned out, Tumukunde was a very good mobiliser and won by a landslide margin
Landslide victory
In politics, a landslide victory is the victory of a candidate or political party by an overwhelming margin in an election...
. Tumukunde then joined the CA which formulated the current 1995 Ugandan Constitution. Tumukunde was known to be a regular and astute contributor to the sessions and debates that preceded the formation of the Constitution.
Following the set-up of the constitution, Uganda held elections and Tumukunde subsequently became a Member of Parliament representing the Army as a special interest group. He went on to serve as an MP until 2005. In addition to this Tumukunde was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and appointed Chief of Personnel and Administration. In 1998, Tumukunde was again promoted to the rank of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and appointed Chief of Military Intelligence and Security. His tenure was arguably the most successful by any officer as it is during this time that Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
's plan to bomb the American Embassy was thwarted. There was also a time where bombings were rampant within the Capital Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, and once again Tumukunde formed several intelligence committees within the city and the problem was gotten rid of. Tumukunde also built an amicable rapport with the Muslim community which many had accused of spearheading the attacks, so much so that key intelligence information was forwarded to him with ease. Arguably, it was during his reign that the Ugandan Intelligence apparatus was at its most efficient.
Tumukunde was then promoted to Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
and transferred to command the UPDF Fourth Division based in Gulu
Gulu
Gulu is a city in Northern Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The city is located at 2˚46'48N 32˚18'00E, on the metre gauge railway from Tororo to Pakwach. Gulu is located approximately , by road, north of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city...
. At the time, the war with the LRA was ongoing and Tumukunde made significant headway during his time as Division Commanding Officer, in diminishing the threat of the Lord's Resistance Army
Lord's Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...
.
Tumukunde was then appointed Director General of ISO, the Internal Security Organisation, Uganda's Civil Intelligence Body. During his time at ISO, Tumukunde set up structures that returned ISO to being the country's foremost Intelligence gathering body, just as he had done with CMI. The ISO became renowned for its efficient and effective approach towards Intelligence and Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
.
The Fall Out
Tumukunde's fast rise to the upper echelons of both the political and Military scene in Uganda marked him out as one of Uganda's most popular and well known sons and ultimately, this, alongside his very strong minded and unrelenting dedication to his country, brought him into the sights of the very institutions he helped to consolidate. At a Political retreat in 2003, Tumukunde, in the presence of the President and his Cabinet, argued against the impending removal of term limitTerm limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
s that would give President Museveni the Right to stand for re-election on an infinite basis. Tumukunde stated that this would be in direct contravention of the rights that they fought to establish and that he, was not willing to take part in what he considered to be grossly unconstitutional behavior. Predictably this put him at loggerheads with the establishment and more so the President.
Arrest and detention
Tumukunde was charged with the offences of abuse of office and spreading harmful propagandaPropaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
. The abuse of office charges were eventually dropped in a manner which suggested that they had been politically motivated in the first instance. What followed was however a surprise to many. Tumukunde was on May 28, 2005, forced to resign from Parliament and subsequently arrested on the orders of the President. It has been speculated that Tumukunde was well aware of what was to befall him before it occurred but felt running away would insinuate guilt on his part and as such decided to weather this mammoth of a storm. His home was surrounded by no less than 50 soldiers commanded by General's Kayihura and Masaba who proceeded to arrest him. Tumukunde was then driven in a tightly guarded convoy to an officers mess turned detention where he was incarcerated for nearly 2 years during which he had limited and tightly controlled contact with the outside world.
His extrajudicial detention
Extrajudicial detention
Arbitrary or extrajudicial detention is the detention of individuals by a state, without ever laying formal charges against them.Although it has a long history of legitimate use in wartime , detention without charge, sometimes in secret, has been one of the hallmarks of totalitarian states...
coupled with a series of controversial and uncertain court martial hearings seemed to backfire leading to irreversible pressure which culminated in his release in 2007. Its is widely assumed that his arrest was based on his opposing views to the proposed 'third term' project that suggested a revision to the Ugandan constitution enabling one to serve more than two terms as President as was the case at the time. No concrete evidence attesting to any of the charges has ever been brought forward to this day.
Tumukunde remains one of the most popular and well known figures in Uganda and it is widely thought that his return on the political scene is very imminent.
External links
- http://www.independent.co.ug/index.php/reports/intelligence-file/72-intelligence-file/2415-tumukunde-snubs-mbabazi-probe-as-fights-over-ghost-soldiers-cash-escalate
See also
- Uganda People's Defence ForceUganda People's Defence ForceThe Uganda Peoples Defence Force , previously the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. The International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates the UPDF has a total strength of 40–45,000, and consists of land forces and an Air Wing.The IISS Military Balance 2007 says there...