I have been arrested, jailed 43 times - Besigye

By Charles Kakamwa

Col. Kizza Besigye, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)  presidential candidate, has said the Presidential Guard  Brigade (PGB) is unnecessarily too big and costly to  maintain by the Ugandan tax payers.

Besigye, who was campaigning in Kibuku district yesterday, noted that PGB, a unit of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in charge of the president’s security, comprises 10,000 soldiers, who are all deployed whenever the President is moving around the country.

“The PGB is headed by his (president’s) son and whenever he is moving like now (during campaigns), they are deployed all over the place, which costs a lot of resources as citizens continue to drown in poverty,” he said, but did not explain how much is spent on PGB, which has since been changed to the Special Forces Command (SFC).

Besigye, who addressed supporters in several trading centres,  including Kadama and Buseeta, before the major campaign rally  in Kibuku town council, was accompanied by FDC secretary general Nandala Mafabi.

Others included leader of the FDC women’s league Ingrid  Turinawe, former presidential candidate Chapaa Karuhanga and  members of Parliament Geoffrey Ekanya (Tororo) and Kevina Taaka (Busia Municipality).

Besigye’s speech at Kibuku town council was occasionally interrupted as residents handed over to him what they claimed were NRM party cards. They argued that they had crossed to FDC, while others offered him money to facilitate his movement as he canvasses for votes across the country.

“These (defectors) have seen the light and decided to leave a party that has made Ugandans suffer for the last 30 years. They have joined our crusade for freedom,” Besigye observed, attracting cheers from the crowd.

Besigye challenged voters not to yield to intimidation, but remain firm and confident when advocating their rights.

He added that his campaign is a struggle intended to shift power from a minority group of people to the majority suffering under the yoke of poverty.

“The power I am talking about is not granted by anyone, it is God-given. Be confident against all odds. They (State) have fought me for years and even pronounced me dead, but I have persevered,” he said.

“Since 2000, when I first contested for the presidency, I have been arrested and taken to jail 43 times and they keep releasing me without any charge. Upon release I condemn their cowardly acts and also call them thieves,” he added.

Regretting that sectors such as agriculture, health and  education are struggling due to inadequate funding, in addition to high commodity prices, Besigye noted that once citizens gain confidence and take charge of the affairs of  their country, everything will be put right.

“Funds that would revitalise these key sectors are consumed by a few people. This is what we want to reverse so that money goes to areas where the most people are,” he noted.

Nandala Mafabi, who is also the MP for Budadiri West in Sironko district, named the National  Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), Bonna Bagaggawale (prosperity for all), and Operation Wealth Creation as some  of the programmes through which taxpayer’s money has been siphoned.

“The time is now to cause regime change to pave way for development,” he said. Besigye later headed to Pallisa  district ,where he also held rallies.

In Pallisa, he told a rally at  Pallisa Market grounds that he will establish agricultural banks for farmers. He also said his government will revamp co-operatives.

He argued that the agricultural bank will be of great help to people rather than SACCOS.

Besigye argued that the NRM government for the last 30 years has failed to assure farmers of profitable market price for their produce.

He also accused the NRM flag-bearer, President Museveni, of  duplicating his campaign programme.

He argued that when he promised to give each student joining secondary school a computer, the NRM government also took up the issue, promising to give students computers.

He repeated his promise to increase salary of primary teachers to sh650,000, and that of secondary teachers to sh1m, and the salary for medical doctors to sh3.5m.

He vowed to cut administrative costs by reducing ministers from 81 to 21, do away with advisors and re-direct funds to service providers.

(Additional reporting by Lawrence Okwakol)