Besigye beats security to attend Kategaya’s burial

Presidential security appeared anxious in Itojo, Ntungamo District, yesterday when Dr Kizza Besigye made a surprise appearance, joining thousands of mourners at the burial of First Deputy Prime Minister Eriya Kategaya.

Amidst a heavy downpour, the arrival of the former leader of the Forum for Democratic Change coincided with the landing of a military helicopter carrying President Museveni.

Dignitaries from government institutions like, judiciary, military and parliament attended the somber occasion that saw Mr Museveni describe his former bosom buddy as a “well-formed gentleman who kept no grudges.

“We disagreed twice but reconciled. In 1973, we disagreed on the setbacks we encountered when we attacked Mbarara. We parted ways; he went to Lusaka (Zambia) and I to Arusha. We later reconciled and worked together,” Mr Museveni said.

Making mention of the 2001-2003 events that split the once bosom-buddies, Mr Museveni said;“If you go left and I go right, that does not stop us from working together in the future,” giving the example of the third deputy premier Moses Ali.

“I salute him for being a fully reformed person in terms of character and ideology. There should be no need for us as men to endlessly be at loggerheads,” he added.

Kategaya fell out with the President and joined the opposition when he opposed the lifting of presidential term limits from the Constitution by the Seventh Parliament at the reported instigation of the country’s leader. He was sacked from Cabinet and Mr Museveni, who had then come to his second and last constitutionally-accepted a five-year term and went on to run for office again in 2006.

Ms Joan Kategaya, first wife to the deceased, asked government to construct a fully-equipped hospital in Kategays’s memory.

“We were only looking for a hydro-therapy machine to save his life. That is why we had to go to Nairobi,” Ms Kategaya said.

Mr Museveni proposed the construction of a technical school in Ntungamo to be named after Kategaya.

Besigye arrives
At approximately 1.30pm, Dr Besigye walked into the main square at the Itojo home just as Mr Museveni’s chopper appeared over the Kategaya homestead.

Catching mourners by surprise, Dr Besigye’s arrival was announced by the master of ceremonies, State Minister for Labour Mwesigwa Rukutana, prompting a rapturous welcome from the crowd.
Current FDC president, Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu left his chair to welcome Dr Besigye who sat next to him.

Since Tuesday, Dr Besigye has repeatedly been arrested almost the moment he steps out of his Kasangati residence. Police has accused him of attempting to restart the walk-to-work activities that nearly paralysed operations in Kampala city for close to a year.

FDC western youth leader Francis Mwijukye said it was imperative for Besigye to bury his former comrade-in-arms, who was one of the founders of the FDC.

In Kampala, security around Dr Besigye’s residence appeared unaware that he had slipped past them.

“They (security personnel) sleep hungry, on water and biscuits and are expected to guard and follow a person they do not know what his day’s plans are. Their superiors take all the operations money. Besides, we have the capacity to be anywhere at any time,” Mr Mwijukye said.

Security sources have told this newspaper Mr Museveni’s security detail was unsure how the public would react in the presence of the two politicians in the same place, who are former friends, but now arch rivals.

Additional reporting by Perez Rumanzi

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