President Yoweri Museveni has joined the country in mourning fallen National Resistance army – NRA/M bushwar hero Gen Elly Tumwiine.

Tumwine, 68, died on Thursday morning at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi Kenya where he was receiving treatment.

According to President Museveni, Tumwine died of Lung cancer.

“Countrymen and Countrywomen, especially the NRM/NRA/UPDF fraternity. With deep sorrow, I announce the death of General Elly Tumwiine which occurred at 5:46am this morning in Nairobi, from lung cancer,” Museveni posted on his Social Media.

In his message, Museveni praised Tumwine as dedicated and hard-working cadre.

“He joined FRONASA [Front for National Salvation] with 9000 others in 1979, went to Monduli Military School in Tanzania and was the one who fired the first shot on the 6th February 1981, at Kabamba, at the beginning of the 1981-1986 war of Resistance,

“Since that time, Gen. Tumwiine has been part of the leadership of the NRA – UPDF as well as serving the government in various capacities. Those capacities included being Army- Commander, member of the High Command, Director-General of Intelligence, Minister of Security, eta,

“He has been a dedicated and hard-working cadre. More will be said about him later. Condolences to his family, to the NRA-UPDF- NRM fraternity and to all Ugandans. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”

Details of arrangements for Tumwine’s burial are yet to be known.