Besigye, Byanyima to get jubilee medals

Dr Besigye and Winnie Byanyima.

What you need to know:

  • Ms Byanyima, is the former Mbarara Municipality MP
  • Dr Besigye was both a member of the National Resistance Council (NRC) and the Constituent Assembly
  • President Museveni usually presides and decorates the recipients

Kampala.
Opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye and his wife Winnie Byanyima are among the current and former legislators to be awarded the Golden Jubilee medal later this month.
Both former legislators feature on the awardees list published by parliament.

“The Speaker of Parliament in conjunction with the Presidential Awards Committee have organised the Golden Jubilee Awards Ceremony for Members of Parliament who have served in the different legislatures from the time of Uganda’s independence,” a parliament statement reads. The awards will according to the House statement, be given in “recognition to their service to the nation”.

Ms Byanyima, is the former Mbarara Municipality MP while Dr Besigye was both a member of the National Resistance Council (NRC) and the Constituent Assembly(CA) which preceded the current House.

It is not clear whether the couple which is currently out of the country will attend the September 26 awards ceremony, at the Kampala Serena Hotel. President Museveni usually presides and decorates the recipients.

Ms Byanyima was in 2010 among a group that was awarded the Nalubaale and Rwenzori medals. Nalubaale is awarded to civilians while Rwenzori is awarded to military personnel.

Although he actively participated in the 1981-86 NRA/NRM liberation struggle, as among others President Museveni’s personal physician, Dr Besigye has never been awarded any medal while his contemporaries have picked many.

In 2001, Mr Museveni said his now four time challenger would be awarded a medal for his participation in the liberation struggle. Mr Museveni was speaking after the 2001 presidential elections in which Dr Besigye had challenged him for the first time.

In 2013, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party president Mugisha Muntu was one of the 96 people who were awarded the 50th independence golden jubilee medals alongside President Museveni’s son and Special Forces Commander, Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Mr Muntu did not attend the awards ceremony. FDC has in the past objected to the rationale used to award the medals.