We shall expose these bogus opposition groups, says Museveni
President Museveni. PHOTO/FRANK BAGUMA
What you need to know:
- President Museveni’s remarks followed parading of disguised activists who claimed they've been working with opposition figures to disgrace his government on the global stage.
President Museveni Friday warned that he will expose and defeat the opposition in addition to crushing anyone with intent to throw Uganda into unrest.
Speaking 38 years after he captured power following a five-year guerilla warfare, Mr Museveni, 79, said: “We in the security system know them…and at the right time we’re going to expose these bogus groups called the opposition”.
Museveni, who is leader of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, accused dissidents of “talking with Europeans to see how to force Uganda to be a puppet of foreign interests.”
“They have been doing that in other African countries and also some of the other third world nations, but they don’t know how strong the NRM is,” he noted.
Museveni’s January 26 remarks followed parading of disguised activists, including Moses Ssimbwa who claimed that he conspired with opposition elements to falsely accuse the ruling government of torture at international conferences.
“While moving me to Nairobi, they (opposition) lied that they were taking me to hospital for treatment of my leg injured through an accident, but I ended up at a human rights conference,” he said.
A man identified as Moses Ssimbwa displays a scar and injuries to his leg which he claims were sustained through an accident but opposition elements asked him to say were occasioned by torture in the hands of Ugandan security officials for political reasons. PHOTO/SCREENGRAB
“I have been used by the opposition for chaotic scenes to stain the image of your government. We –youth-- do these things because we want to improve our livelihoods since we’re too poor to even get Shs1m in as many years. I have come to apologise to you and Uganda at large,” Ssimbwa tearfully said.
Delivering his address, Museveni cited Ssimbwa’s claims, vowing defeat for any domestic or foreign challenge to his party’s leadership and political systems in the country.
“Those who miscalculate that Uganda is a typical neo-colonial African country that they can just familiarize with, Uganda under NRM is a totally different cup of tea…and we can defeat anybody who challenges us here in Uganda, regardless who backs him,” Museveni added.
Still on Friday, Museveni again struck a tone of defiance, taking a swipe at global rights groups, World Bank and foreign governments that threatened to hit Uganda with sanctions and aid cuts following adoption of the anti-gay law in 2023.
“Some people announced that they will not give loans or support to NRM but we’re moving forward. Uganda will even grow at a faster rate than before because the strength we built was by ourselves,” he remarked during the 38th NRA/M anniversary in Jinja City.
“The only people who helped us were two African brothers Julius Mwalimu Nyerere and Samora Machel. That’s all, all the others, if you want to help, you help, if you don’t want, bye bye…” he added.
