The remains of former Security Minister, Gen Elly Tumwine who died on Thursday have on Friday evening been returned to the country.
The body was received by senior officers of the UPDF and his immediate family at Entebbe International Airport at around 7pm.
He succumbed to lung cancer from Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi.
From Entebbe, his body is expected to be taken to Bombo Military barracks for further management.
Burial arrangements are yet to be communicated.
Gen Tumwine was one of the founder members of the National Resistance Army (NRA), which fought a five-year war that brought President Yoweri Museveni to power in 1986.
It is believed that Gen Tumwine fired the first shot as the then-rebel group attacked a military barracks and launched its bush war uprising in central Uganda.
He became commander of the rebel army in 1984 – holding the position until 1987, a year after it had taken power.
Gen Tumwine had held several positions in government over the last couple of decades, including security minister and deputy defence minister. He was also a long-term member of parliament representing the army.
As security minister he made controversial comments following election campaign protests in November 2020 after the security forces had killed at least 50 protesters, saying: “The police have a right to shoot you and kill you, if you reach a certain level of violence.”
He was dropped from cabinet last year and retired from the army in May.