Following the death of Uganda’s former security minister Gen. Elly Tumwine on August 25, we are publishing excerpts from an interview he had with Umaru Kashaka in 2019. In the interview, the General expressed his love for singing. Debates on whether he was talented or not raged, but this did not deter him from singing whenever wherever. Tumwine was known to burst into song in the middle of interviews.
You have a number of songs and videos where you celebrate your culture and love for Uganda. Why do you sing?
My songs are deliberate and I don’t sing them for money. For example, the first song (he then signs Ainunu), which is very famous is about our beautiful country, Uganda.
In that song, I tell people of how wonderful our country is – the land of milk and honey, the Pearl of Africa…
The other song is titled Live Your Dream And Enjoy Your Life. It tells people that they must work hard to have a dream and enjoy it. Then there is also the King of Africa for Pan African movement. It asks, “If you were the king or queen of Africa, what would you do for Africa? What do you say to Africa? Would you tell young people to be proud of Africa?”
Those are some of the songs, I have but I am still composing more. All in all, you must know your God. You must have time for God.
