East Africa News

I shouldn’t have saved Museveni’s life, says Besigye

Busiro East MP Medard Sseggona (centre) argues with a police officer after the Force attempted to stop Dr Besigye from addressing a rally in Masaka on Friday. PHOTO | NMG

 

By The Citizen Correspondent (email the author)

Posted Monday, September 2 2013 at 12:31

 

 

In Summary

Dr Besigye said he takes the blame for sustaining the life of a man whom he says has now become an obstacle to the fulfilment of the country’s aspirations as espoused in the 1981-85 guerrilla war manifesto.

Masaka. Former FDC president Kizza Besigye has said he regrets treating President Museveni during the Bush War days and ensuring the rebel leader remained alive.

Dr Besigye said he takes the blame for sustaining the life of a man whom he says has now become an obstacle to the fulfilment of the country’s aspirations as espoused in the 1981-85 guerrilla war manifesto.

“I used to be his doctor and I gave him treatment whenever he was sick. And by so doing, I did not know that I was creating a problem to the country,” he said.

“So I have a duty to remove him from power and save the country from further ruin,” Dr Besigye told a public gathering organised by Masaka Municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga in Masaka on Friday.

The rally was intended to explain why the Public Order Management Bill, which was passed by Parliament last month, should not become a law.

The rally held at Binyonyi Primary School in Nyendo, was initially peaceful and several MPs including, Gerald Karuhanga (Western Youth), Paul Mwiru (Jinja Municipality) and other opposition politicians, had addressed the gathering.

However, as soon as Dr Besigye was invited to the podium to speak, hell broke loose.

Heavily-armed policemen stormed the venue and dispersed the crowd, which fled in all directions.

However, part of the crowd and the MPs stood defiantly and engaged the police in heated arguments as Dr Besigye made his public address.

He would often point at the police personnel as he spoke, describing their behaviour as strange. According to Dr Besigye, they were sabotaging the very efforts which would liberate them from squalid living conditions in their barracks and months without pay under the current government.

Dr Besigye also wondered why some people keep asking him whether he will stand in 2016. “Why should they ask such a question when the man (Museveni) is leaving power much earlier than 2016?” he asked.

He said there is an ongoing war to overthrow President Museveni even without guns being used to achieve that goal. “When I said he was going a few years ago, I really meant it, only that back then, I thought he would go peacefully but right now, he is set to go disgracefully,” Dr Besigye said.

He claimed the opposition is growing stronger as more people leave the NRM to join it. He cited Gen David Sejusa (former coordinator of intelligence services) and Prof Gilbert Bukenya (former vice president) as a reference to support his claim.

He also made reference to the apparent feud within the NRM party, saying “Kayihura is attacking Nantaba, Mbabazi attacking Kadaga and all the recent illegal job appointments are all clear signs of a falling regime”.

Meanwhile, Mr Medard Sseggona, (Busiro East MP) said nobody in Buganda should be excited by President Museveni’s recent signing of the agreement to return Buganda’s property and to pay the money government owes the kingdom in rent arrears for its properties.

“The property and the money were supposed to be paid back 28 years ago but it delayed for no justifiable reason. The government owed Buganda Shs22 billion in cash. After so long, it paid a mere Shs2 billion and Buganda is expected to celebrate and dance? Imagine the President said he would pay us more only after seeing how we have used that little bit,” Mr Sseggona said.

“Yet when the same government owed Shs269 billion to Hassan Basajjabalaba, he was paid all in a single cheque. The property and the money owed to Buganda are now used as a bait to win our favour when Museveni is in a crisis,” Mr Sseggona added.

Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago said he is saddened that Justice Benjamin Odoki, the man centrally associated with the creation of the Uganda Constitution, could now be at the centre of a controversy that threatens to offend the Constitution he helped put in place.

He said such incidents and the introduction of “draconian” laws such as the Public Order Management Bill portend end of regime.

He claimed that a clique of officials at Kampala Capital City Authority, who have abused taxpayers’ money are the ones masterminding his removal from office. He did not name them.

Another speaker Moses Kasibante (Rubaga North MP) claimed that the disappearance of Gen Sejusa has pressed President Museveni’s panic buttons, which has impelled the head of state to make concessions and go around giving cash handouts to perceived influential groups across the country.