They say no retreat, no surrender, but Lieutenant General Henry Tumukunde only heard that in the jungles of Luweero and in Jean Claude van Damme film.
In what can only be described as a political ceasefire, Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde has gracefully withdrawn from the much-anticipated Rukungiri District National Resistance Movement (NRM) Chairperson race—leaving Major General Jim Muhwezi the unchallenged field marshal in this electoral standoff.
The contest had all the makings of a classic battlefield clash: two decorated generals, one stage, and decades of political and military manoeuvres between them.
But in a plot twist worthy of a war fiction epilogue, Gen Tumukunde chose the path of quiet retreat, firing no rhetorical salvos, nor mobilising his battalions of supporters.
Instead, he took to X, formerly Twitter.
"I have decided to withdraw from the Rukungiri District NRM chairperson election, in protest of the irregularities witnessed during the process," Tumukunde announced in a post that felt less like a concession and more like a diplomatic communiqué.
"This decision comes after serious reflection."
Sources close to the General suggest the "irregularities" may have been of the sort that makes even a battle-hardened officer rethink the terrain.
Electoral skirmishes, phantom registers, and questionable deployments are not new to party elections, but Tumukunde seemed to decide this was a hill not worth dying on.
What was expected to be a political siege quickly turned into a silent withdrawal. No court-martials, no Twitter wars—just a clean break.
Perhaps the adage once beaten twice shy rung loud in his mind - only that in his case it could have been twice and thrice.
Already shot in the bush, on March 1, 2016, Gen Tumukunde was again shot in the legs during a fracas at the Western Youth Member of Parliament elections in Fort Portal, where his son, Amanya Tumukunde, was contesting.
Tumukunde claimed he was shot by military police under orders from then Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Katumba Wamala.
While military officials initially said he was hit by a tear gas canister, Tumukunde insisted he was struck by live bullets, asserting, "Do you think as a General I don't know the difference between a tear gas canister and a bullet?"
Major General Jim Muhwezi, meanwhile, remains stationed unopposed, with no need to polish his boots or sharpen his speeches.
The old warhorse has weathered many storms in Rukungiri, and this time, he won without lifting a finger—what military tacticians might call a bloodless victory.
Still, Tumukunde’s retreat doesn’t signal a white flag on his broader political ambitions.
"My commitment to serve the people of Rukungiri remains unwavering. More details to follow," he added, hinting at future sorties—perhaps on different fronts.
Observers now wonder whether this withdrawal is a tactical pause or a long-term redeployment. Either way, Rukungiri's political map has been redrawn—for now—without a single metaphorical bullet fired.
As the dust settles on this quiet campaign, one thing is clear: in the battle of generals, it was strategy, not strength, that dictated the outcome.