By NANGAYI GUYSON
President Museveni's bush doctor, opposition leader, and former presidential contender Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye joined in denouncing a segment of Ugandans who openly welcomed Gen. Elly Tumwiine's death.
Gen Elly Tumwine, 68, the four-star general and a former Minister of Security in President Museveni's succumbed to lung cancer at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was admitted on August 11.
However, a section of Ugandans including Former Kampala Woman MP Contestant, Human rights activist, and poet Dr. Stella Nyanzi has celebrated the death of Gen Elly Tumwine.
Gen. Elly Tumwine and Dr. Stella Nyanzi frequently crossed paths during the protests in and around Kampala.
Gen. Elly Tumwine, who at the time served as the state's Minister of security, issued several arrest warrants for protesters, among them was Dr. Stella Nyanzi, and he allegedly pushed police to shoot unarmed bystanders.
In a poem written in German and published on social media while she is in exile, Stella Nyanzi said that Gen. Elly Tumwine was justified to die and that no one would miss him.
Gen. Elly Tumwine should even go to hell, Dr. Stella Nyanzi stated in poem titled “THE ONE-EYED WIZARD IS DEAD!
And as it reads below.
Somebody run and tell my lover,
The one-eyed singing wizard is dead!
The Ugandan opposition will not bother
Pretending that we’ll miss his head!
Go to hell, singing wizard!
Godspeed to the fire of hell.
Go to the devil, one-eyed lizard!
You threatened murder of protesters as well
As unleashing of bullets to the gizzard
From police at the sound of your bell.
Somebody run and tell my lover,
The one-eyed singing wizard is dead.
The Ugandan opposition will not bother
Pretending that we’ll miss his head!,”
Dr. Besigye called such celebrations of a person's death "inhuman" and advised such individuals to exercise restraint.
Besigye stated, "I believe that we should refrain from passing judgment on people, especially after someone has passed away because at this time they are in the hands of God.
Furthermore, it's virtually impossible to know a person's relationship with God at the time of their death.
Even someone who has acted wrongly may eventually repent and rebuild their relationship with God.
I consequently oppose passing judgment on those who have passed away.
In an interview with informer East Africa at Gen Elly Tumwine’s funeral home, Dr. Besigye also stated that it was "unfair to indict someone who cannot defend themselves. Justice requires that I can only accuse you if you are willing to defend yourself so that the public can make a judgment.
If you feel that he offended you, it is now too late to accuse him; dead persons cannot defend themselves”
He first met Mr. Yoweri Museveni, the future President of Uganda, in 1967 in his primary seven lessons. Mr. Museveni had just finished his A-Levels and was working as a part-time teacher at their school before beginning his studies at Dar es Salaam University later that year.
Tumwine said to have shot the first bullet, in panic, to gain future fame in starting the five-year NRA armed struggle against Milton Obote’s government.
He was commander of the NRA and a member of the High Command during the bush era. He was replaced as the NRA commander in 1987, a year after they had taken power, by Gen Caleb Akandwanaho, alias Salim Saleh, the younger brother of President Museveni.
Gen Tumwine is number two of six original members of the then NRA High Command as of January 26, 1986, according to the UPDF Act, 2005.
The others are President Museveni, his brother Gen Salim Saleh, Gen David Tinyefuza (now David Sejusa), late Eriya Kategaya and Maj Gen Matayo Kyaligonza.
By virtue of being a historical member of the High Command, Gen Tumwine and five others are permanent members of the Defence Forces Council and High Command, both the army’s highest policy and decision-making organs.
This is not the first time Dr. Stella and others have celebrated the death of Ugandan leaders in a manner like this, January, 2022, Ugandan activist and feminist Stella Nyanzi through her social media accounts celebrated the death of former Ethics and Integrity Minister Fr Simon Lokodo who died in Geneva.
“I thank God you died, may you rot in hell,” Stella Nyanzi celebrates Fr Simon Lokodo’s death
Nyanzi said that Lokodo contrary to Bible teachings was a very bad man who promoted hatred against homosexuals and women at large.
“A Ugandan homophobe died today in Geneva. I join Uganda’s homosexuals to celebrate his death. Simon Lokodo, from your hatred we are delivered. Oh, how you campaigned to legalised queer death. You joined Ssempa preaching hatred to believers. You enforced Bahati’s homophobia with such rage. There is no sorrow for your demise. May you rot in hell for your homohomophobia,” She wrote.
Nyanzi added that Ugandan feminists will dance wildly in the mini- skirts the late hated so much.
“Lokodo, you shamed women’s bodies in the motherland. Alas how craftly you worked to penalize our exposed bodies. You championed the anti-pornography law in Uganda. You steered the policing of women’s sensuality and choice.
“There is no sorrow for your departure. May you rot in hell for your misogyny. We shall dance on the graves of Museveni’s sycophants who oppressed us in the service of Musevenism! Aluta continua,” Nyanzi added.
It shall be recalled that in 2015, Fr Lokodo ordered for the arrest of Nyanzi after she undressed to protest being locked out of her office at Makerere University.
“Even if she was offended by anybody, she behaved indecently. I condemn it in the strongest words possible and I have directed police to arrest her. She must be brought to book,” Lokodo was quoted.