# Silas Mayunga

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Silas Mayunga Nicknames "The artillery wizard" "Mti Mkavu" (Swahili: dry tree) Died (2011-08-06)6 August 2011 Delhi, India Allegiance Tanganyika Tanzania Branch Tanganyika Rifles Tanzania People's Defence Force Rank Lieutenant General Commands 206th Brigade TPDF Task Force TPDF Conflicts Uganda–Tanzania War Invasion of Kagera Battle of Gayaza Hills Western Uganda campaign of 1979

**Silas Paul Mayunga** (6 August 2011) was a Tanzanian military officer and diplomat.

## Biography

Mayunga served in the [Tanganyika Rifles](/source/Tanganyika_Rifles) as a second lieutenant and was stationed in [Lugalo](/source/Lugalo).[1] During the [Tanganyika Rifles mutiny](/source/Tanganyika_Rifles#Mutiny) of January 1964 he was in [Tabora](/source/Tabora).[2]

In October 1978 Uganda, ruled by [Idi Amin](/source/Idi_Amin), [invaded](/source/Invasion_of_Kagera) and occupied the [Kagera](/source/Kagera_Region) Salient in northern Tanzania, initiating the [Uganda–Tanzania War](/source/Uganda%E2%80%93Tanzania_War).[3] Mayunga, serving as a brigadier in the [Tanzania People's Defence Force](/source/Tanzania_People's_Defence_Force) (TPDF), led a brigade into Kagera after the [Uganda Army](/source/Uganda_Army_(1971%E2%80%931980)) withdrew.[4] The TPDF invaded Uganda in early 1979, and Mayunga commanded the 206th Brigade as it advanced into the southwestern portion of the country and seized [Mbarara](/source/Mbarara).[5][6] During the war his troops commonly referred to him as "the artillery wizard".[5] After leading forces into Uganda, his men nicknamed him "Mti Mkavu" (Swahili: dry tree) in reference to his perceived durability.[7] Following the capture of Mbarara [and Masaka](/source/Battle_of_Masaka), the TPDF halted to reorganise.[8] On March 21 Mayunga was promoted to major general and given charge of a newly formed "Task Force",[9] a unit consisting of the 206th Brigade and the Minziro Brigade, which was semi-autonomous from the TPDF's main invasion force, the 20th Division, in southeastern Uganda.[8] While the 20th Division attacked Kampala and other major locations, the Task Force [advanced north into western Uganda](/source/Western_Uganda_campaign_of_1979) in the following months, engaging Ugandan troops conducting [rearguard](/source/Rearguard) defensive actions.[10] On 3 June 1979 Mayunga accompanied the Minziro Brigade as it secured the last portion of unoccupied Ugandan territory along the Sudanese border, ending the war. At the frontier, he delivered a short victory speech to his soldiers, telling them, "You've taught Idi Amin a lesson he'll never forget."[11] He was later awarded by the new Ugandan government for his role in overthrowing Amin's regime.[12]

In 1990 Mayunga was appointed as an envoy to Ghana.[13]

Mayunga died on 6 August 2011 at the age of 71 in [Delhi](/source/Delhi), [India](/source/India) while undergoing medical treatment.[12] His body was repatriated to Tanzania two days later.[14] Uhuru Stadium in [Bukoba](/source/Bukoba) was renamed Mayunga Stadium in his honour.[15]

## Citations

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTETanganyika_Rifles_Mutiny1993178_1-0)** [Tanganyika Rifles Mutiny 1993](#CITEREFTanganyika_Rifles_Mutiny1993), p. 178.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTETanganyika_Rifles_Mutiny1993137_2-0)** [Tanganyika Rifles Mutiny 1993](#CITEREFTanganyika_Rifles_Mutiny1993), p. 137.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEAvirganHoney198361–62_3-0)** [Avirgan & Honey 1983](#CITEREFAvirganHoney1983), pp. 61–62.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEAvirganHoney198368_4-0)** [Avirgan & Honey 1983](#CITEREFAvirganHoney1983), p. 68.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMmbando198054_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMmbando198054_5-1) [Mmbando 1980](#CITEREFMmbando1980), p. 54.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEAvirganHoney198382_6-0)** [Avirgan & Honey 1983](#CITEREFAvirganHoney1983), p. 82.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMzirai198063_7-0)** [Mzirai 1980](#CITEREFMzirai1980), p. 63.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEAvirganHoney198386_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEAvirganHoney198386_8-1) [Avirgan & Honey 1983](#CITEREFAvirganHoney1983), p. 86.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMzirai198074_9-0)** [Mzirai 1980](#CITEREFMzirai1980), p. 74.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEAvirganHoney1983174_10-0)** [Avirgan & Honey 1983](#CITEREFAvirganHoney1983), p. 174.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEAvirganHoney1983195–196_11-0)** [Avirgan & Honey 1983](#CITEREFAvirganHoney1983), pp. 195–196.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-upf_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-upf_12-1) ["In Memoriam: Maj. Gen. Silas Paul Mayunga"](http://www.upf.org/peace-ambassadors-reports/3846-in-memoriam-maj-gen-silas-paul-mayunga). United Peace Federation. 6 August 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Credentials presented"](https://books.google.com/books?id=XiYOAQAAMAAJ). *West Africa*. No. 3776–3792. 1990. p. 387.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Bitekeye, Alex (9 August 2011). ["Tanzania: Last Respects to Mayunga Set for Today At Lugalo"](https://allafrica.com/stories/201108100672.html). *allAfrica.com*. Retrieved 11 May 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Mulisa, Meddy (19 August 2016). ["Tanzania: Why Kagera Residents Must Beware of Illegal Aliens"](https://allafrica.com/stories/201608190127.html). *allAfrica.com*. Retrieved 20 May 2019.

## References

- [Avirgan, Tony](/source/Tony_Avirgan); [Honey, Martha](/source/Martha_Honey) (1983). *War in Uganda: The Legacy of Idi Amin*. Dar es Salaam: Tanzania Publishing House. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-9976-1-0056-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-9976-1-0056-3).

- Mmbando, S. I. (1980). *The Tanzania-Uganda war in pictures*. Dar es Salaam: Longman Tanzania. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-582-78534-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-582-78534-2).

- Mzirai, Baldwin (1980). *Kuzama kwa Idi Amin* (in Swahili). Dar es Salaam: Publicity International. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [9084117](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/9084117).

- *Tanganyika Rifles Mutiny: January 1964*. Dar es Salaam University Press. 1993. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9789976601879](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789976601879).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Silas Mayunga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silas_Mayunga) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silas_Mayunga?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.