Mugisha Muntu

Mugisha Muntu
Born	1 January 1958 (1958-01-01) (age 53) Uganda
Residence	Kololo, Kampala, Uganda
Nationality	Ugandan
Ethnicity	Munyankole
Citizenship	Uganda
Education	Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (BA) Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
Occupation	Military Officer & Politician
Years active	1981 — present
Known for	Military & Politics
Home town	Mbarara
Religion	Christian

Major General (Retired) 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 (FDC), a Ugandan political party. In 2008, he unsuccessfully contested for the party's presidency, against Kizza Besigye. From 1989 until 1998, he served as the Commander of the Army, the highest military position in the Ugandan military at that time. When the National Resistance Army was renamed the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), General Muntu became Commander of the UPDF.

History

Mugisha Muntu was born in October 1958 at Kitunga village in Ankole Uganda to the late Enock Ruzima Muntuyera and Aida Matama Muntuyera. He had an affluent childhood as his father was a strong government functionary and close friend of former Ugandan ruler Milton Obote. He attended Mbarara Junior School, Kitunga Primary and Kitunga High School. Kitunga High School was later renamed Muntuyera High School, in memory of his father by his friend President Obote. Muntu later attended Makerere College School. He subsequently went on to graduate in political science from Makerere University where he was deputy president of the students union.

Military career

Muntu joined the guerrilla National Resistance Army of Yoweri Museveni the day he completed his university exams to the chagrin of his family and President Obote, who considered him a son. Early into the rebellion he was shot in the chest but survived after receiving treatment in Kampala. Later he emerged as the head of Military Intelligence after the NRA victory in 1986. In military intelligence he had under his command, personalities like Paul Kagame who would later become the president of the Republic of Rwanda.

Mugisha Muntu underwent further military training in Russia before becoming a division commander in northern Uganda. He rose to the rank of Major General within the UPDF. He was later to serve as Commander of the UPDF. That post was later renamed Chief of Defence Forces of Uganda. As army chief he oversaw the demobilization of many sections of the army and bought new equipment for the force. He is Uganda's longest-longest-serving army commander, a position he occupied from 1989 until 1998. He gained repute as an incorruptible officer in an army riddled with corrupt officers.

Political career

Muntu was a member of the constituent assembly (1994–1995) and parliamentarian. After disagreeing with Museveni's sectarian approach to politics and the military, he was removed from the army command and appointed minister, a position he politely turned down.^[1] In August 2006, he was selected by the members of the Ugandan Parliament to serve as one of the nine (9) Ugandan representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).^[2]

See also

• Uganda People's Defense Force
• Forum for Democratic Change
• National Resistance Movement
• Salim Saleh
• Elly Tumwine
• Jeje Odongo
• James Kazini
• Aronda Nyakairima

References

1. ^ Muntu says he left NRM and the Army due to Corruption
2. ^ Muntu selected to EALA

External links

• Mugisha Muntu Leads EALA Team to Kisumu, Kenya
• Narrative of Mugisha Muntu's Military Career

Military offices
Preceded by Salim Saleh As Commander of the NRA	Commander of Uganda People's Defence Force 1989–1998	Succeeded by Jeje Odongo

Persondata
Name	Muntu, Mugisha
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1958
Place of birth	Uganda
Date of death
Place of death

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