{UAH} Allan/Pojim/WBK: Besigye eludes police to visit health centre - Elections
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Besigye eludes police to visit health centre
Police remained deployed at all health centres in the district to block Mr Besigye from visiting more such facilities. Photo by Dominic Bukenya
FDC presidential candidate Kizza Besigye made an impromptu visit to Kyeyare Health Centre II in Rwengo Sub-county on Saturday and found the health facility closed at 12. 30 pm.
Dr Besigye, who was canvassing for votes in Buhweju District, was shocked to find patients stranded and waiting without any sign of health workers showing up.
The health centre is located by Rwengo Sub-county Headquarters.
Some patients were seated on the verandah of the locked facility while many more queued, hoping that could be attended to.
Dr Besigye was accompanied by the party President, Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu and FDC parliamentary candidates Francis Mwijukye for Buhweju County and Jane Freda Bwiruka for Buhweju District woman seat.
Mr Besigye took advantage of the absence of security personnel at the health centre to make a quick tour of the facility.
Buhweju District police personnel that were trailing Dr Besigye right from Katara where he had his first rally were some distance away.
They arrived when he was already talking to patients, and just looked on.
He chatted with the patients, took a closer look at the facility by peeing through the glass doors before proceeding to address his second rally at Nsiika Town Council.
"Everywhere President Museveni goes, he says he has concentrated on building and equipping health centres in rural areas, but there is nothing there," said Mr Besigye.
He added, "This is one of the smallest health facilities in villages built at a high cost. People's lives can't be taken care of by such small facilities."
Patients and locals neighbouring the health centre told journalists that the health workers are always absent on Saturday and Sunday and are on and off during week days
Police remained deployed at all health centres in the district to block Mr Besigye from visiting more such facilities.
"They are everywhere I go, they deploy police at hospitals and health centres, they don't want me to get closer to humiliate them," Mr Besigye said at a rally in Marinde in Engaaju Sub-county.
Buhweju District police commander Ben Namanya said Mr Besigye should write to police if he wants to visit government health facilities.
"There is no directive to stop Mr Besigye from visiting hospitals; we follow programmes that candidates give us. Why should he visit a hospital if he is going for his campaigns? He should have written to us if he wanted to visit a health centre," said Mr Namanya.
Mr Besigye said he will improve the health facilities and road infrastructure in Buhweju to enable farmers to market their produce.
He claimed his rival Mr Museveni travels around the country by air to escape the bad roads in the countryside that he has failed to fix.
Mr Besigye again challenged Mr Museveni to a debate on their respective manifestoes and how they intend to raise money to finance them.
Mr Besigye spent Saturday in Buhweju District and held rallies in Katara, Nsiika, Omukajaani, Nyakiziba, Marinde, Rubengye and Nyakashaka.
The presidential candidate asked residents to vote Mr Mwijukye and Ms Bwiruka for the two parliamentary seats in Buhweju District.
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