No single political party in Uganda can eject Museveni, says Besigye
Dr Kizza Besigye addresses a rally during his consultative meeting at Liberation Square in Masaka City on May 22, 2024. PHOTO/ ANTONIO KALYANGO
What you need to know:
- During a consultative meeting in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality last month, Dr Besigye said he would not stand for president in 2026 despite continued pressure from party members to contest for the highest office again.
Four-time presidential contender Col (rtd), Dr Kizza Besigye has advised Opposition forces to shun internal divisions and work jointly to eject President Museveni’s government which has been in power for nearly four decades.
According to the former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president, no single political party in Uganda currently can single-handedly cause regime change even if it wins the next election (2026). He stressed that party leaders and their supporters need to win the struggle by peaceful means without using a gun.
“The option of using guns to take over state power is old fashioned because it leads to loss of innocent lives. Now, our focus is on building a network of activism groups through which we can pass the message to every Ugandan yarning for change to take appropriate action as per our command at the right time,” Dr Besigye said during a consultative meeting at Masaka Liberation Square on Wednesday.
He reiterated that regime change in Uganda is possible even before 2026 general election if the oppressed appreciate that they are under dictatorship and misrule of Mr Museveni’s regime.
“ It is not the political class to cause regime change but the oppressed themselves have to appreciate that they are under captivity and not getting what they deserve from the current regime. Once they do that, they raise and cause change,” he said.
Unlike in other regions where FDC members allied to Katonga faction where Dr Besigye belongs, have been urging him to contest for president again in 2026, in Masaka party members asked him to rally behind any other politician who will carry the Opposition flag.
“We found a challenge of convincing party supporters why you [Dr Besigye] did not contest in the 2021 general election. This time around, we ask you to fully participate in the entire electoral process either as a candidate or support any other candidate you will find fit to lead the liberation struggle,” Mr Moses Kabuusu, the Kyamuswa County legislator who is also an FDC member said.
During a consultative meeting in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality last month, Dr Besigye said he would not stand for president in 2026 despite continued pressure from party members to contest for the highest office again.
Kira Municipality MP, Mr Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda who is the spokesperson of the FDC-Katonga faction said infiltration of political parties by the regime shouldn’t bother members provided they remain committed to the struggle to liberate Uganda.
“On our part, we are not ready to die in FDC which is currently under the armpits of Mr Museveni. We can create any other means of furthering the struggle for liberation of our country,” he said.
During the last presidential elections (2021), Dr Besigye flatly turned down party members' plea to contest, saying he did not believe in the Electoral Commission appointed by President Museveni and also added that no election would remove the former guerilla leader who shot his way to State House in 1986 following a five-year war.
During the 2016 general election in which Dr Besigye contested, the Electoral Commission declared Mr Museveni a winner with 5,97872 votes defeating seven challengers with the first run-up, Dr Besigye, polling 3,506,687 votes.
