Bernard Rwehururu | |
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Born | c. 1941 Ruhoko, Ntungamo District, Protectorate of Uganda |
Died | 26 February 2015 Jinja, Uganda | (aged 73–74)
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ |
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Years of service | 1965–2013 |
Rank | Brigadier |
Service number | RO-03284[1] |
Commands |
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Battles/wars | |
Spouse(s) |
Rosemary Rwehururu (m. 1969) |
Bernard Rwehururu (c. 1941 – 26 February 2015) was a Ugandan military officer and author. He served in various Ugandan militaries from 1965 until 2013, including under the governments of Milton Obote, Idi Amin, Tito Okello, and Yoweri Museveni.
After initially studying to become a Catholic priest, Rwehururu became a soldier to financially support his family. In the Uganda–Tanzania War of 1978–79, he rose to command a Uganda Army battalion and fought in several battles. Alongside other remnants of the Ugandan military, he retreated into exile in 1979 and subsequently became part of a rebel group attempting to overthrow the government in Uganda. In 1985, the new Ugandan government was overthrown by its own military; Rwehururu subsequently returned from exile and joined the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA). In the following year, the UNLA-backed regime was also overthrown, whereupon Rwehururu became part of the National Resistance Army (NRA). He rose through the ranks of the NRA and its successor, the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), over the next decades. In 2002, he authored an autobiography, titled Cross to the Gun, which detailed his experience in the various Ugandan militaries, particularly the 1971–79 period.