Phinenas Bwambale Kisokeranio, ADF Co-Founder, Dies at 89

Phinenas Bwambale Kisokeranio, one of the founding directors and a former high-profile military commander of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), has passed away at the age of 89. According to family sources, Kisokeranio succumbed to hypertension on Tuesday morning at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala after being transferred from Mt St Mary’s Hospital, where he was initially admitted over breathing complications.

His son, Zostine Kiongozi Tumusiime Kisokeranio, confirmed the death during an interview in Kasese Town. Kiongozi noted that his father had previously shown positive recovery progress while receiving treatment for prostate cancer before developing sudden health complications.

Born in 1937 in Kasese District, Kisokeranio’s life was deeply intertwined with Uganda’s history of armed rebellion. His insurgent activities began in 1962 when he served as a de facto deputy and guide to Isaya Mukirania during the formation of the Rwenzururu Movement. Over the decades, Kisokeranio shifted between civilian life and the bush, notably participating in a historic 1973 delegation that successfully lobbied for the creation of Kasese District.

By 1988, he broke ranks with the government again, joining Amon Bazira and Richard Kinyamusithu to establish the National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (NALU). Following the assassination of Bazira and Kinyamusithu, Kisokeranio assumed overall command of NALU and later helped merge the faction with the Uganda Muslim Liberation Army (UMLA) in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to form the ADF.

After spending more than 27 years in the jungles of the DRC, Kisokeranio voluntarily surrendered to Ugandan security forces in March 2015 after being tracked down by his family. He was granted amnesty and later dedicated his final years to peacebuilding initiatives. Around 2022, he became a prominent figure at the Kasese Peace Centre, using his background to encourage active rebels to abandon insurgencies and reintegrate into society. A tentative funeral program indicates he will be buried at his son’s home in Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town Council. Read more details on the Daily Monitor.