Besigye: I was held for backing Museveni

Supporters welcome FDC candidate Virginia Plan Mugyenyi and Dr Kizza Besigye (atop car) in Sheema Municipality on Saturday. PHOTO BY FELIX AINEBYOONA

Sheema- Four-time presidential candidate Kizza Besigye has asked residents of Sheema Municipality to vote out the NRM government because it has created two classes of people; the exploited and the exploiters.

While campaigning for Ms Virginia Plan Mugyenyi, the Forum for Democratic Change party candidate for Sheema Municipality parliamentary seat at the weekend, Dr Besigye said the election is a wave for change.

“This election is not an election between FDC or NRM but against the bad leadership of the NRM government because they have deviated from the issues that took us to the Bush in 1981. I campaigned for Mr Museveni on Uganda Patriotic Movement in 1980 when he had nothing. I funded some of his campaigns, but I am opposing him because he deviated from what took us to the bush,” Dr Besigye said.

He said people should not think that government has started arresting him recently.

“They arrested me for campaigning for Museveni in 1980 with other people from Mbarara and they have never been seen again. By then, I had just left the university and started my work as a doctor but I abandoned what I was doing in Kenya to come and help Ugandans stop dying,’’ Dr Besigye said.

He was Mr Museveni’s personal physician during the Bush War that brought the NRM to power in 1986.
Speaking at the Sheema campaign trail, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago said the country was shocked over what happened in Sheema Municipality for a sitting MP to contest in another constituency.

“The rest of the country is shocked for what is happening in Sheema because of the greed that Elioda [Tumwesigye] has portrayed. So we are waiting for you to vote Virginia to take up the leadership of Sheema Municipality. When Elioda comes here, tell him that please go away, do not fool us,’’ Mr Lukwago said.

Dr Tumwesigye is the Sheema North MP and Science and Technology minister.

Ms Mugyenyi pledged to unify the people of Sheema, saying they have been polarised along religious lines.