Tracing Besigye’s defiance campaign

Former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, had been out of the country when nominations of the party’s flag bearer were carried out.

But his appointed agents picked forms on his behalf, putting to rest speculations whether he would participate in the presidential elections, which were due in a few months at the time.

Dr Besigye himself had contributed to the speculation by saying he would not participate in elections without electoral reforms.

But when he returned to the country, Dr Besigye, to the urging of his supporters, confirmed the nomination and he would go on to defeat FDC president Mugisha Muntu to win the party ticket. Parliament had also passed the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill discarding nearly all the Opposition and Civil Society Organisations’ input. Once again, the stage for an epic Besigye-Museveni showdown was set.

In response to the challenges facing his candidature, including accusations that he was participating in an election he had already said would not be free and fair; Dr Besigye said: “We are participating to win this election and we shall win this election. We shall win the flawed elections. We shall not win it by compliance but by defiance,” Dr Besigye told journalists at his Katonga Road office on October 8, 2015.

He said the campaign would enable citizens to “take back their power” from what he called a dictatorship.
The Electoral Commission (EC) and police were the first to be sucked in, both warning the Opposition leader to drop the campaign or face the wrath of the law.

EC chairman Badru Kiggundu said Dr Besigye’s campaign was tantamount to inciting violence during the election period.

At one point, Dr Kiggundu said he would approve the deployment of the military to counter the campaign. But Dr Besigye remained bold, accusing the EC instead of being a “Museveni’s walking stick”.

Throughout the three-month campaign period, Dr Besigye spread the defiance message across the country, urging citizens to “take back their power” from the few who he said wield it with the help of “guns”.

Unlike previous Dr Besigye-led campaigns such as the “walk-to-work” protests, the defiance campaign had no defined activities or targets, except regime change. Defeating it became a challenge.

In the run-up to the elections, government attempted to link the campaign to the criminal gangs terrorising people, especially in Kampala city by stealing their mobile phones, among other crimes.

On January 5, Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, flanked by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Gen Kale Kayihura said “a small group of the radical Opposition” was planning violent actions during and after the election with the overall objective to disrupt social and economic activities.

Among others, the premier singled out the defiance campaign, particularly “Power 10”, a grass root vote-protection coalition by Dr Besigye, which he said is aimed at causing violence in 2016.

In the same league, Dr Rugunda included criminal organisations such as “pentagon”, “youth brigade” and Kifeesi. Still, Dr Besigye did not yield.

To Security minister Mary Karooro Okurut, the defiance campaign meant “causing riots, overall civil disobedience and general mayhem with a basic objective in mind; cause so much chaos that it is impossible and impracticable to hold elections or in the alternative impossible to govern the country after elections by organising insurrections.”
Days before and after the February 18 elections, Dr Besigye continued to defy police orders, which he said were illegal.

Attempts to confine him at his Kasangati home in Wakiso District, almost always ended up in him making counter attempts to leave.

He would then be bundled in a police van and carted off to a police cell until late in the night. Even after a 45-day siege of his home, Dr Besigye did not waver, instead challenging police to present him in court and be formally charged if he had committed any crime.

With so much pressure on the Force, IGP Kayihura ended the siege but maintained that Dr Besigye would remain under “full time” watch of police and other security arms of the state.

Once the presidential victory was firmly secured by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), the next was to ensure a smooth swearing-in ceremony. Government sought to avoid the 2011 diplomatic embarrassment where Dr Besigye’s return coincided with the occasion.

More defiance
As part of the wider defiance campaign, FDC launched the ‘Free-my-vote’ campaign, which, among others, included weekly prayers. The prayers soon degenerated into a matter of State interest.

On April 29, the Constitutional Court banned FDC and Dr Besigye’s activities. Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma issued an ex-parte order (listening to only one side) against FDC and Dr Besigye. It followed an application by Deputy Attorney General, Mwesigwa Rukutana, in the Constitutional Court challenging FDC’s defiance campaign.

Both FDC and Dr Besigye termed the order issued at 6:30 pm, which time was beyond the official court working period of 5pm, as illegal and vowed to defy it.

Many were consequently arrested and detained in police cells or confined at their respective homes. Dr Besigye and the FDC leadership as part of the campaign also demanded for an internationally supervised independent audit of the February 18 election results.

Particularly, Dr Besigye said it was his right to decide whether to go to court or not. He argues that he was “illegally and unconstitutionally” detained and hence denied a chance to go to court.

Dr Besigye disputed the official EC results in which President Museveni was declared winner with 60 per cent, while Dr Besigye got 35 per cent.

He argues that he has “sufficient, empirical and incontrovertible evidence” that he won the 2016 election with 52 per cent of the vote, excerpts of which he published recently on his official social media pages. He has called for an “independent audit”, which he says will help to resolve the matter.
With no chance of that bearing any fruits, FDC announced Dr Besigye would be sworn-in as president. A day to the May 12 official swearing-in of President Museveni, Dr Besigye who had been under house arrest escaped and emerged in the city centre. A video of his purported swearing-in would emerge shortly after.

Treason charges
The opposition leader has since been in prison, first at Moroto where he was detained and later charged with treason.

He was then transferred to Luzira prison in Kampala from where he was again charged with treason at Nakawa Chief Magistrate Court. Prosecution alleges that Dr Besigye and others still at large, between February 20 and May 11, planned to forcefully ascend to the Office of the President when he declared himself the elected president of Uganda.

He is also accused of inciting residents to defy lawful orders to attend his illegal swearing in ceremony in a non-specified place. He was remanded back to Luzira until June 1.