I’ll advise Museveni to prepare for smooth transition of power, says Gen Tumwine

Former Security minister Gen Elly Tumwine says he will advise President Museveni to prepare a smooth transition of power "for a long-term stability of the country."

The NRA historical and top most general after Gen (rtd) Museveni and his brother Salim Saleh, made the announcement shortly after handing over the Security docket to Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi on Wednesday saying it is one of the first things he will do when he assumes his new role of senior presidential advisor.

“As take on my new advisory role, I will advise @KagutaMuseveni to prepare for a smooth transition of power for a long-term stability of our country,” tweeted Gen Tumwine who was appointed senior presidential advisor as President Museveni recently announced his new cabinet.

“I am happy to be handing over to Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi, a friend and an old-time comrade.

I promise my resolute commitment to you in executing your official duties at the Ministry. I am humbled to have served my country. I will forever be grateful to President Museveni for being a visionary and excellent leader of the revolution,” Gen Tumwine who once served as commander of the National Resistance Army) from 1984 to 1987), added.

Early this year, Gen Tumwine came under fire after he argued that security forces were justified to kill civilians during the November riots which left more than 50 Ugandans dead following the arrest of then presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine in Luuka.

Early last year, MP’s attempted to censure him on accusations that he had blocked the work of Parliament when the Committee on Human Rights was probing illegal detention centres or safe houses in the country in which many Ugandans have allegedly been tortured.

In 2019, the then Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, instituted an investigation into the alleged torture by Internal Security Organisation (ISO) after Mr Latif Ssebaggala (DP, Kawempe North), and Kassiano Wadri (Ind, Arua Municipality), alleged that ISO was running safe houses to torture people in Kalangala District and Kyengera in Wakiso.

Gen Tumwine, while appearing before the Committee then chaired by Ms Janepher Nantume (Buvuma Islands, NRM) later admitted that government was running safe houses for intelligence purposes but not torturing civilians.
The Committee noted from some of the testimonies that individuals use security agencies to resolve their personal conflicts and recommended that security agencies should avoid being used by the public to settle personal vendetta.
The MPs argued that the alleged victims should be encouraged to seek damages for unlawful detention and torture.
However, the motion to censure Gen Tumwine collapsed after the mover failed to garner at least 153 mandatory signatures to support their censure motion.

Mbwatekamwa Gaffa, the Kasambya County MP who authored the censure document in a press conference said they managed only 39 signatures and this was not adequate given the February 20, 2020 deadline.