Foreign Forces behind opposition to topple President Museveni-Col Kiiza Besigye

By Angela Nyakuni 

In 2016 Rd. Col. Kizza Besigye revealed that forces in the international community were behind Uganda’s opposition to remove President Museveni from power.

“You don’t have reason to fear anything. The international community is in full support of our cause,” said Col. Kiiza Besigye as he addressed a mammoth gathering in Mbarara Town on a Saturday of August6, 2016.

Besigye said several foreign powers were dismayed by “what transpired in the February elections” thus throwing their weight behind the opposition in the quest for change of the statusquo.

The former FDC Presidential candidate had previously hinted on receiving support from western states in his presidential bid.

Government officials had as well openly criticized western diplomatic missions in Kampala for going beyond the boundaries of their diplomatic work to rally support for opposition figures especially Col. Kiiza Besigye.

The FDC ironman’s presence in Mbarara attracted huge crowds. Besigye’s convoy snaked through Mbarara Town to Kakyeka stadium despite heavy police deployment.

FDC officials had earlier announced that the celebrations for Besigye’s return from prison would be held at Kakyeka stadium, only to be cordoned off by police.

Besigye’s supporters chose to flock the neighboring Ntare School grounds where jubilations took place. Besigye said that opposition won elections only to be rigged out of the race by the ruling party.

“They had warned me never to go beyond Kasangati but now I am in Mbarara. We are having rallies and processions which they had banned; we will win by defiance not compliance, “charged Besigye amid an ovation and cheers from the audience.

“Once I talk of defiance they usually tell me that it’s a case; now let me commit 10 cases so that I may be tried in international courts,’’ he added. Besigye had just returned from prison where he spent months on treason charges. Besigye appealed to police officers to join what he described as a “struggle for change.”

“I know many of our police officers are in supportive of change but the problem is a small number of top police officials who are not doing the police work but politics,” he noted.

Five years down the road, the opposition is using the same tricks, but with a new leader of this vanguard. The question is, ” will there be change?”