I have nothing personal against Museveni - Besigye
Dr Kizza Besigye collects money from his supporters during a rally at Kamuli Taxi Park yesterday. PHOTO BY DENIS EDEMA
Buyende- He is one of the main challengers of President Museveni in the run up to the 2016 elections. But the FDC candidate, Col (rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye, has said he has no personal vendetta against his former close confidant and the ruling NRM.
Speaking in Bukungu Town, Buyende District, yesterday, Mr Museveni’s former Bush War time physician said what he is opposed to is the system of governance that Mr Museveni and the NRM have been running for more than 25 years now.
“Some people say may be I hate President Museveni. Others say may be I just hate the NRM. No. What we are opposed to is the system because it is a system that works for a minority and oppresses the majority,” Dr Besigye said.
During the 2011 general election, Dr Besigye said Mr Museveni and the NRM had copied parts of his manifesto, especially on the students’ scholarship scheme and the elderly persons’ benefits and also promised to implement them, but have failed to do so because of what he termed as lack of interest in working in the interest of the greater majority of Ugandans.
Uganda, he said, is endowed with much more wealth than some of its neighbours, but it is surprising that systems in those poor countries are working to the benefit of their citizens.
“Is Rwanda richer than Uganda? Why are hospitals functioning better than those in Uganda? Why are the public servants there better paid than those in Uganda?” he asked.
Dr Besigye said government collects a lot of money in taxes, but the bulk of the funds are lost to corruption while the little that remains is misused.
Citing the Budget for the financial year 2015/2016, Dr Besigye said the allocation to the Agriculture sector on which nearly to 80 per cent of the population of Uganda depends is far much less than what was allocated to State House.
The FDC candidate said after nearly 30 years in power, the NRM has failed to create jobs leading to unprecedented levels of poverty and unemployment, medical facilities are ill-equipped and understaffed and most of the roads in the country side are in a sorry state.
With FDC government under him, Dr Besigye said he would seek to ensure a change of systems to ensure that national resources work for the benefit of the majority of the country.
He said government would set up a special fund to help the citizenry improve its housing conditions. The fund, he said, is aimed at ensuring that grass-thatched houses are no longer in existence.
Dr Besigye also said he intends to reduce the size of Cabinet to not more than 21 ministers and also give secondary students computers.
He also revealed that the party has embarked on registering at least 10 volunteers from every parish countrywide who will be trained in vote protection to help check possible rigging.
