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Grief as Army, sports fraternity lose Colonel Bell

By Richard Kintu

Barely a month after the country lost brig. Kasirye Ggwanga, the UPDF has lost yet another amiable general.
Brig. Jackson Tushabe aka Colonel Bell, 61, passed on Tuesday at Nakasero hospital; succumbing to multiple organ failure following over 15 years of bad health.
An illustrious soldier, Tushabe (RO/0079) is among the bush war heroes that brought peace to this nation through the 1981-1985 NRA guerilla war.
After the struggle, Tushabe rose to the rank of Colonel and would remain at the same rank for decades. However, like his departed comrade Kasirye Ggwanga, he was just promoted in recent years to a brigadier general.
During his tenure in active service, Col. Bell served as commander of the UPDF Fourth Division in Gulu, Second Division in Mbarara and the Third Division in Mbale.
Outside the army however, Col. Bell will be remembered for his eternal love for sports, particularly soccer and kickboxing.
In the soccer fraternity, Bell made an indelible mark on the local football scene when in the later 1990’s to early 2000’s he singlehandedly funded Gaba-based Victors FC which went on to play continental football following its fast rise from the lower division to the super league. He also served local governing body FUFA as former president Lawrence Mulindwa’s Vice President Competitions.
He would extend his sports philanthropy to kickboxing where he picked UPDF kickboxer Titus Tugume from the ‘gutters’ and funded his career to a nationally recognized fighter whose popularity is only eclipsed by the big-talking Moses Golola.

Fare thee well fallen soldier!!

Col. Bell (3rd L) during his days with Victors FC, at Namboole Stadium

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