The man who would lay his life for Besigye

Sam Mugumya is a fearless man. On many different occasions, he has put his life on the line for the sake of saving that of his boss, Col Kizza Besigye, the former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president.

“I do not have a problem risking my life for him because he represents the four core values that I strongly believe in. These include justice, freedom, fairness and equality,” Mugumya explains.

The 35-year-old who has been working as Besigye’s aide for the past 10 years says he often moves with the Colonel not only to ensure his safety but also to take part in political activism events.

So whenever any kind of scuffle ensues between Dr Besigye and the police, one will always find Mugumya doing bodyguard duties for his boss.
“I have been beaten countless times, charged in court and taken to prison because of my devotion to the Colonel,” he says.

Mugumya says he was tortured the most during the Walk to Work protests that took place in 2011.
“This happened when Doctor was intercepted around the Mulago-Wandegeya roundabout. I was with him in his white Land cruiser SUV when Gilbert Arinaitwe decided to spray that pepper into our eyes. I was seated on the co-driver’s seat while Doctor was seated on the extreme right in the back seat,” he recalls.

He adds, “When I could not take the pepper spray any more, I decided to come out of the car. My eyes were so teary at that point. As I was struggling to make my way to the other side of the car to try and help the Colonel, a number of policemen grabbed me. Of course, I tried to resist but eventually I was overpowered and bundled into the back compartment of the blue car.”

The aide says that a few minutes later when the van started moving to Kasangati police station, five men putting on civilian clothes who were with him in the van both started flogging him.
“They kicked and threw punches at me on every part of my body throughout the journey. The whole of my body was completely swollen when I alighted from the van about 30 minutes later,” he explains.

That day, he was presented to Kasangati court and charged with inciting violence and holding an unlawful assembly and later taken to Luzira prison. This particular incident, he says, “showed that the dictatorship will do anything to defend its privileged position including killing those that are deemed to be protected by their status in society.”

Mugumya first met Besigye while studying at the university. At that time, Mugumya was the general secretary for the Reform Agenda Youth League, a university association that was involved in political activism and was gathering support for Besigye in the learning institution.

“He was going through many trials at the time including one where he had just lost the 2001 elections. I decided to walk to his offices in Kamwokya to deliver sympathisers and to pledge support from all the members of our association.”
Contrary to the tough-talking man that he had always seen on television, Mugumya says that he found Besigye as a very composed man who was also a good listener.

Even when the former presidential candidate later on went to exile in South Africa, he would task the Youth League association with a few responsibilities. For instance in 2002, Besigye sent a pile of Christmas cards for the association to distribute to various influential personalities in the country including President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Baptism of fire
However, while delivering the late Major General James Kazini’s Christmas card at Bombo barracks, Mugumya was arrested and then released days later.
I ask Mugumya how much he is paid for all his efforts. He gives a surprising answer.

“No, the doctor does not pay me any salary since we are both contributing towards a struggle. I have other means of survival which I would rather keep to myself and not reveal to members of the public.”

At the moment, Mugumya stays at Besigye’s home in Kasangati. It was Besigye who made the arrangement after he finished his studies at Makerere University in 2006.
I also ask him what his average day is like. Mugumya says he spends it according to his boss’ programme.
“If we have a meeting, we attend it. If there is a rally, we go and attend it.”

In case his boss does not have any plans for the day, Mugumya visits his family members and friends.
As much as Mugumya is happy about his work, he says that it has however, to a greater extent, had a negative impact on his personal life.

“My first girlfriend left me because she could not stand my obsession with activism,” he explains.
The two met while in secondary school. Mugumya was in Senior Four while she was in Senior Two. He was 24 at the time and she was 21.

“We started off as friends but our relationship later on blossomed into love when we reached the university.”
When the two were both done with their studies, she wanted to start a family. She gave him an ultimatum to either choose between her or his work.

“I failed to make a final decision and she left me,” he says. In 2007, he got another girlfriend but like the first one, she too did not like his active involvement in politics.
“I was arrested that year on a Tuesday and detained for having participated in the Mabira forest demonstrations. When I was released on a Friday, I found that she had gone without informing me,” he says.
Ever since that time, Mugumya says he has not yet found another girlfriend.

Challenges in the fight
Meanwhile, although his family members were very uncomfortable about the nature of his work when he had just started, they have learnt to accept that activism and fighting for a just cause is something that he loves to do. Besides relationships, the 2003 Bachelor of Social Sciences political science major graduate says he has also failed to get any kind of part-time job.

“No one wants to employ someone with a divided mind where today you are engaged in running battles with the police and tomorrow, you are in office. Which kind of employer can tolerate that?”

This is why he has decided to fully involve himself in political activism. He stood for the 2011 Member of Parliament (MP) Rukungiri municipality seat but did not win.
After his defeat, he went back to what he loves most, doing activism work which extends to working closely with Kizza Besigye. He is optimistic about carrying on with activism until there is a society that respects fundamental rights of its citizens.

[email protected]