Besigye, Muntu issue call to fight unfairness

Opposition leaders have said poor people will continue to suffer as poor health services and bad governance prevail unless everyone affected joins the fight against unfairness.
The leaders made the remarks during burial ceremony of Jovah Kyomugisa Kafureeka, the wife of Mayor of Ntungamo Municipality Jacob Kafureeka and mother of Ntungamo Municipality MP Gerald Karuhanga, in Mishenyi, Itojo Sub-county on Thursday.
Former presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, said poor health service delivery, as is the case at Itojo Hospital (in Ntungamo) and corruption affect everyone despite their political affiliation.

“This one (the deceased) was close to hospital (Itojo) but can you go to Itojo when you are sick and go back (home alive)? Whether you are blue (FDC), yellow (NRM) or any other party, when you get to Itojo you will find it Itojo (implying not being useful)”, Dr Besigye said.
“Unfairness is the only problem we have in this country; it’s not money for establishing facilities for treatment that is lacking. Therefore, the struggle we are in is for ensuring fairness.”
“It’s not about parties, political parties should not divide us. And you hear people say ‘Besigye fight for us.’ Everyone must come up and we all fight together,” he said.

Sickness
Kyomugisha, 55, was diagnosed with colon cancer in India and she died in Germany where she had been taken for treatment on February 1.
Mr Kafureeka’s home is adjacent to Itojo Hospital where he was employed in 1970s.
Dr Besigye said if the government cares about its citizens it would have established equipment for cancer screening and treatment to save their lives.
Dr Besigye also decried the high cost of university and secondary education which he said is at least Shs6m a year.

“Which means a poor person will no longer live in Uganda; unfairness is what we are talking about,” he said.
He added: “Young people this is your time to take back your country, young people stand up, if you don’t, the country will crumble.”
Rtd Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, the national coordinator Alliance for National Transformation, too criticised government for the poor health service delivery and the poverty among citizens.

Gen Muntu urged people to abandon fear and have faith that change will come.
“Religious leaders kneel and pray for this country. The God who created us must be in heaven there shaking his head (in disbelief) at what kind of people we are,” he said.
He added: “The country is green all year round but we are crying of poverty. Our people are going to desert countries looking for greener pastures, which greener pastures are here. Pray to God to have mercy on us.”

Need for transition
Mr Karuhanga said time comes when even a good dancer leaves the stage, asking Mr Museveni to leave for someone else to steer the country.
“If we want our country to be better than it is now, there are things we need to seriously address without mincing words, like corruption. Banyankole say that ‘even if you are a good dancer, time comes and you leave the stage,” he said.

The MP added: “Even if you know how to dig very well, time comes and you leave the garden; and if you rub your nose too much it bleeds. This country will make 58 years of independence this year, we have changed leaders nine times but we have never changed the President peacefully. Those who have access to leaders of this country, let’s tell them that time has come, let them give others chance to do what has not been accomplished.”
The People Power movement leader, who is also Kyadondo East MP, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, saluted Dr Besigye, Gen Muntu, Forum for Democratic Change president Patrick Amuriat and other leaders for inspiring Ugandans and showing them the way to realise a better society.

The Minister of State for Labour and MP for Rushenyi County, Mr Mwesigwa Rukutana, who represented the President and Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, acknowledged the gaps in the health service delivery.
But Mr Rukutana said it is work in progress. “It could be true that we don’t have better health facilities but I want people to differentiate wishes from reality. Uganda has developed under National Resistence Movement but we shall not take ourselves to the level of Germany or India that developed long time ago. Like the rest of developing countries, there are things we haven’t achieved because of limited resources,” he said.

Bettering health services
The minster said Uganda Cancer Institute is being upgraded so that services that people go for in India, South Africa and Germany will be available starting May.
Mr Rukutana added that those who want leadership of the country should go to the voters.
“Go and seek people’s mandate as per the Constitution. When they allow you, then we can retire. The judges are the people who we ask for votes; let us go to them in an orderly way without colliding,” Mr Rukutana said.
The Labour minister said NRM ushered in peace and it’s only those that are in power that can guard it and guarantee its sustainability.
He added that democracy and rule of law have thrived under NRM.

Key players say...

“‘....Therefore, the struggle we are in is for ensuring fairness. It’s not about parties, political parties should not divide us. And you hear people say ‘Besigye fight for us.’ Everyone must come up and we all fight together,” Dr Kizza Besigye, opposition leader

“The country is green all year round but we are crying of poverty. Our people are going to desert countries looking for greener pastures, which greener pastures are here. Pray to God to have mercy on us,”
Gen Mugisha Muntu, the National Coordinator, Alliance for National Transformation,

“Go and seek people’s mandate as per the Constitution. When they allow you, then we can retire. The judges are the people who we ask for votes; let us go to them in an orderly way without colliding,”
labour minister Mwesigwa Rukutana

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