senior officers in the rebel army, indicated by his senior number RA 0111. In 1984, during one of the bigger battles with the then Uganda army in Luweero District, Tumukunde was shot multiple times in his legs. The wounds were so major that it was thought he would not survive. He was, however, smuggled out of the country to Nairobi and eventually to London, where he was operated on. Presidential aspirations On 3 March 2020, Tumukunde declared that he will be challenging Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for the seat of presidency in 2021. In a press briefing, Tumukunde attributed his decision to the fact that the NRM party and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni were not ready to discuss a peaceful transition of power. On 7 June 2020, following the 2020 Malawian presidential election, Tumukunde called for all opposition parties in Uganda to unite behind a single presidential candidate in 2021. He ran as an independent candidate for president in the 2021 Ugandan general election. Postwar career On capturing power, Tumukunde was promoted to the rank of major and appointed first secretary and military attache at the Ugandan Embassy in the United Kingdom. Subsequently, Tumukunde was sent on a Senior Command and Staff Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, in Kaduna, Nigeria, from where he emerged as one of the best students. On his return to Uganda he was appointed as the army's director of planning. Tumukunde served in this role for many years and was very instrumental in the setup of formal military structures in the UPDF, which had until then been a rebel army. In 1994, Uganda held elections for the Constituent Assembly and Tumukunde sought to represent his home county, Rubabo in Rukungiri district. His main competitor was a government minister and senior figure Mondo Kagonyera. Tumukunde, who was in early thirties at the time, was thought to be the underdog in the race; however, Tumukunde was a very good mobiliser and won by a landslide margin. Tumukunde then joined the CA, which formulated the current 1995 Ugandan Constitution. Tumukunde was known to be a regular and astute contributor to the sessions and debates that preceded the formation of the Constitution. Following the adoption of the constitution, Uganda held elections and Tumukunde subsequently became a Member of Parliament representing the Army as a special interest group. He went on to serve as an MP until 2005.