Besigye to lead demo on Museveni’s big day

Uganda’s opposition leader Kizza Besigye returns home on Wednesday morning to lead protests planned to coincide with President Yoweri Museveni’s swearing in for a fifth term on Thursday.

This time, the protest will shift from “walk-to-work” to “walk-to-pray”, said Dr Besigye.

Dr Besigye, a former ally of President Museveni turned-arch foe, dismissed the ceremony as illegitimate.

He said it was wrong to spend USh4 billion on the ceremony when millions of Ugandans risked starving.

“Yet there are some people in Uganda who can only afford one meal a day. Somebody can even be sworn-in in the bedroom, you do not need that much money,” he said.

Dr Besigye repeated claims that the February election was rigged, views supported by international observers from the African Union, European Union and the Commonwealth.

“Accordingly, what is going to be sworn-in on Thursday is an illegitimate presidency, and we shall continue to treat it as such,” the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader said.

He was speaking at the Democratic Party offices in Nairobi where he paid a courtesy call on party leader Joseph Munyao.

Dr Besigye chairs the Democratic Union of Africa, an association of democratic parties that also include DP.

“Are we going back to the (Idi) Amin era when even Museveni himself had to run away from Uganda?” Mr Munyao asked.

Dr Besigye came to Kenya late last month for treatment after he was injured in a violent arrest on April 28.

“The government is panicking because they lack legitimacy and that is why they say if I walk in Kampala, people will come and gather around me but that is not my problem,” he said and asked: “If you have been elected with 70 per cent of the vote, how can you fear a miserable loser walking around?”

Dr Besigye said although his tenure as FDC party leader had come to a close, he would welcome nomination at the next elections. FDC limits the tenure to two five-year terms, which Dr Besigye has already served.

The walk-to-work demonstrations kicked off in April 11 over high food and fuel prices. Several people have been killed, and others injured by security agents who break up the marches violently.

Last month, Dr Besigye was shot in the hand during one of the protests.