Besigye slams Bahima on land

Jan 28, 2007

FORUM for Democratic Change (FDC) leader Dr. Kizza Besigye has accused the Bahima clan of grabbing land in preparation of the forthcoming commonwealth Heads of State Meeting in Uganda, while calling the NRM leadership “thieves and mafia”.

By Fred Kayizi
and Apollo Mubiru

FORUM for Democratic Change (FDC) leader Dr. Kizza Besigye has accused the Bahima clan of grabbing land in preparation of the forthcoming commonwealth Heads of State Meeting in Uganda, while calling the NRM leadership “thieves and mafia”.

He made the comments on Hoima FM radio on Saturday.

“The Commonwealth Summit is not going to benefit Uganda as long as the present system of the NRM is still in place.

Already a clique of well-placed Bahima is busy grabbing land in Kampala to strategise for the summit,” said Besigye, whose wife, Winnie, is a Muhima.

“Most of the NRM leaders are thieves and mafias. Even the Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, raised alarm over the mafia group in the government,” Besigye added.

Earlier in the day, addressing a crowd of supporters at Hoima Boma ground at the launch of the sale of party cards, Besigye lashed out at President Yoweri Museveni, calling him a “coward” who thrives on scaremongering tactics.

“Museveni is just ekituringa (scarecrow) because when you examine him very well you will find that his perceived strength is not there,” Besigye said.
Talking from an open-roof Land Cruiser, Besigye said Museveni had now employed “tactics of teargas” against his opponents because he was desperate and scared of FDC.

“You, Banyoro, don’t fear dictators like Museveni. When I returned from (exile in) South Africa, he saw my support and his trousers started trembling.

“That’s why he arrested me. But where am I now? Am I not in Hoima?” he asked, drawing applause.

“To show you that Museveni is a coward, he moves with 10,000 soldiers to guard him. How can a brave man move with all those soldiers? How many soldiers have I come with to guard me? Am I not moving freely?” Besigye added, drawing more cheers.

He appealed to the Banyoro to be determined like their late Omukama Kabalega (who resisted British colonial rule) by joining hands with him to dislodge Museveni from power.

The FDC leader repeated that Museveni’s popularity had greatly deteriorated and that his government would soon collapse.
He also alleged that Museveni had destroyed the country’s economy to the extent that most people in rural areas were living in abject poverty.

Meanwhile, FDC spokes-person Wafula Oguttu said the President should admit that his Government has caused Ugandans more problems than it intended to solve. He also accused Museveni of being out of touch with reality.

“When you listen to the President’s response to the problems facing Ugandans today, you really wonder whether he understands what is happening in the country. He should stop explaining Uganda’s problems using foreign factors,” Oguttu said.

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