Retired NRA fighter (L.tGen.) Henry Tumukunde’s “toxic” statements he has made publicly stinging his Commander in Chief Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni have erupted a huge rift in the army.
As a means of taming his “ego and loud mouth”, high- ranking military officials stripped Tumukunde off army privileges citing misconduct and absence of willingness to apologise
“We are tired of his statements. That fella has been attacking government, attacking the force but above all speaking ill against the President publicly. Because for him he doesn’t regulate his words and he thinks he is fearless,” said a top- ranking soldier who spoke to TrumpetNews on Thursday night over Tumukunde’s woes
This official who sits in a high- command, a top organ of the UPDF asked not to be named citing sensitivity of the matter.
In his recent spate of perceived attack on the President, Gen. Tumukunde told a gathering at a burial that government leaders had left Museveni to think for this country because they had become “totally absent of responsibility” and therefore, the wanainchi (civilians) were suffering because the President and the leaders are detached from the population.
In the recent past, Tumukunde had been quoted whining whether he was clown that is “appointed and disappointed” whenever the appointing authority feels like.
Tumukunde was appointed Security Minister in 2016 but fired later in 2018.
He also questioned who disappoints the appointing authority.
To the soldier we spoke to, such rhetoric is completely harmful particularly when it is being fed onto the public.
“We can’t keep seeing this fella act like that, undermining everyone, we simply couldn’t.”
Tumukunde was 2005 Court Martialled for spreading harmful propaganda against UPDF. He battled the charges for close to a decade.
On habouring Presidential ambition, the officer said Tumukunde is free to contest because there is democracy in Uganda just like Late Benon Biraro sought to lead the country.
“But of course he (Tumukunde) wouldn’t win,” he said.
We have learnt that Tumukunde’s security detail having been recalled will be trimmed since “he isn’t entitled to that number of guards as a retired officer.”
The army warned that should Tumukunde continue with his unwarranted public speeches against the military and the President, he will be punished heavily.
UPDF Spokesperson Brig. Richard Karemire couldn’t pick our repeated calls when contacted to substantiate on these claims against Henry Tumukunde.
Over the weekend army withdrew guards former Security Minister Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde at his Kololo and Rukungiri homes.
Media reports suggested that the issue at hand pitting Gen. Tumukunde and the Kampala establishment is the presidential ambition he harbors to run against the incumbent Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party in 2021.
Tumukunde who earlier vowed to stand for Kampala Mayor, was secretly mobilizing for country’s top seat.