My Companion Died – Besigye

By John Kakande, Anne Mugisa And Juliet Nankinga COL. Kizza Besigye yesterday admitted that his companion died, though he did not know what killed her. In an affidavit filed to the Supreme Court, Besigye said his companion, Judith Bitwire, died in 1999, and their child died in 1991. "It is true that Judith Bitwire was my companion up to 1991 and that she died in 1999, but I did not and I do not know the cause of her death. I had a child with the late Bitwire and this child died in 1991, but this child did not die of AIDS," the affidavit reads. The affidavit was in response to one filed by President-elect Yoweri Museveni which asserted that, "Bitwire, with whom he (Besigye) cohabited and his child died of AIDS, in addition to his bodily appearance which bears a strong resemblance to other AIDS victims I have observed." But Besigye said his appearance was natural and could not be used to make one believe that he is a victim of AIDS. Besigye said Museveni's statement was meant to stigmatise him and demoralise his supporters. Earlier the hearing of the petition filed by Besigye failed to start at the Supreme Court after his lawyers applied for an adjournment. They said they needed more time to access documents from the Electoral Commission and President-elect Yoweri Museveni. Besigye lawyers said they specifically wanted voters' rolls used during the March 12 polls and some audio and video recordings of Museveni's campaign speeches. The commission and Museveni's lawyers, Dr John Khaminwa and Peter Kabatsi, opposed the application, saying the petitioner was bogging down hearing of the case. After a 30-minute adjournment, the justices gave their ruling read by Justice Joseph Mulenga. They said the petitioner needed time to get documents from the commission as evidence. "We allow a short adjournment to enable the petitioner to prepare and file affidavits arising from documents we ordered made available to him," Mulenga said. But they said due to the "peculiar circumstances" it was not possible for the lawyers to make submissions after all evidence was filed. Court sources yesterday told The New Vision that the Museveni team was to file yesterday over 120 affidavits in addition to the 41 filed already in support of their defence. The coram is headed by Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki and Justices Mulenga, Arthur Oder, Wilson Tsekooko and Alfred Karokora. The court will hear evidence from all the parties within seven days starting today. Odoki earlier said the petitioner had been allocated two days, yesterday and today, to put his case. The respondents, Museveni and the Electoral Commission, have each been allocated two days. But the petitioner has been granted an extra day to reply. Under this schedule, hearing of evidence would close next Friday. The court is obliged to give its ruling not later than April 26. Odoki said the court would sit on Saturday but "skip Sunday for obvious reasons." Present were Besigye and his political allies Nasser Sebaggala and Dr Ssemogerere. Besigye's lawyer Peter Walubiri said he was applying for the adjournment because Museveni's side had not served them with copies of the affidavits filed in his defence. See verbatim on page 4 Ends