God has protected me from NRM, says Besigye

Founding president of the Forum for Democratic Change party Kizza Besigye has said he owes God praise for keeping him strong and alive despite the numerous arrests and the brutality against him.

“I am still alive because of God’s mercy. It’s right for me to give him thanks. I will always dance and praise God. If it was not God’s mercy I would not be alive today. In 1980, I was arrested together with my colleagues but I managed to escape into exile in Kenya by God’s grace.

“Those that I was arrested with you cannot call them today and they reply. God has protected me beside the several arrests and brutality by security agents of this government,” Dr Besigye said during the thanksgiving function for the completion of St Joseph’s Kijuguta Catholic Church in Kabale Town yesterday. He donated Shs2m cash.

“We need to devise other means if we are to change the leadership of this country. The mere ballot paper will not help us because the one that prepares the voting materials is the one that employs all the Electoral Commission staff that announce the winner yet he is also a candidate,” Dr Besigye said.

He criticised the government’s Universal Primary and Secondary Education programme comparing it to a hotel owner who detests food prepared at his own hotel.

“Tell me any government employee whose children are enrolled in the Universal Primary and Secondary Education schools? If they are good programmes why is it that the government employees do not send their children to benefit from the programme? ” Dr Besigye asked.

Dr Besigye also advised Ugandans to learn from the Rukungiri by-elections where NRM party delivered billions of shillings to bribe voters in favour of the ruling party candidate but the voters later made a different decision.

Commenting on the International Women’s Day celebrations which took place yesterday as he spoke in church, Dr Besigye praised women in the world for being strong pillars in their families.

“I congratulate the women upon celebrating the International Women’s Day and the men that mistreat their wives shall never go to heaven because women are the strong pillars in caring and upbringing a family,” Dr Besigye said.

At the same mass, medical superintendent for Nyakibale Hospital in Rukungiri District Nicholas Kamara declared his intention to contest for Kabale Municipality parliamentary seat and pledged to deliver better healthcare services.

Kabale Christ the King Parish priest Fred Birungi celebrated mass and appealed to Christians never to despair because God has grand plans for them.

“Don’t lose hope, stop fearing, don’t get shamed while serving God because God has a package for everyone he created. Use the lent season to help the needy, keep in prayers for God’s blessings and ensure you respect humanity,” Fr Birungi said.
He asked Christians to always contribute generously towards church projects in order to continue receiving God’s blessings.

Brutal arrests
2011 walk to work. In 2011, Dr Kizza Besigye walked to his Najjanankumbi office more than 20 kilometres from his home in Kasangati. He was protesting the rising cost of living.

In Kasangati, police confronted him and fired teargas and rubber bullets into the air. In protest, Besigye and his aides sat in a roadside trench.

In April 2011, Gilbert Arinaitwe, a police officer, used his pistol butt to break Besigye’s car and spayed teargas before arresting him at Mulago roundabout.

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