{UAH} SEGIRINYA: BESIGYE TELLS WHY KIDANDALA PETITION ISN’T GOOD FOR BROADER OPPOSITION POLITICS

By Mulengera Reporters

Dr. Kizza Besigye says that, much as Kawempe North MP Mohammed Segirinya might have intellectual limitations when it comes to being formally educated, ejecting him from Parliament wouldn't amount to advancing the struggle for regime change in any way. In an exclusive with Mulengera News, Dr. Besigye admitted being among Segirinya's original political mentors as the young man from Kyebando began his political activism in the late 2000s by participating in defiance activities and protests that were jointly organized by him (Besigye) and other activists like Erias Lukwago, Ingrid Turinawe and others.

"Yes it's true he used to be part of our activities," Besigye said. "But these days I don't hear from him very frequently. May be he is busy and I think it's because he now belongs to NUP where I'm not a member but I have no problem with him."

Dr. Besigye also asserted that the likes of Segirinya corroborate his point and observation that its commitment to the struggle, and not mere elitism, that should be emphasized and considered to be very important. "This exactly is what we were discussing earlier on about Hon Nabanja when I told you it can be misleading to assess one's capacity to serve and lead basing on how far they went with formal education," Dr. Besigye said before proceeding to give his views about the election petition filed by Suleiman Kidandala (another NUP diehard) in court seeking to oust Segirinya on grounds that he lacks adequate academic qualifications required for the job of being MP.

"This is the problem I keep talking about; desire for positions by many of the people who come to the struggle. Otherwise why would anyone seek to remove Segirinya fighting to occupy a position in Kampala which was long liberated?" Besigye says it intrigues him that anyone would fight hard to oust a fellow change activist from office yet the struggle should be on how to utilize the available scarce human resources to see how the entire country can broadly get liberated.

 

He asserts that Kawempe North should be considered secure and firmly liberated because Segirinya is from the NUP party just like his foe Kidandala who is seeking to oust him. The retired Colonel says he doesn't see how mere removal of Segirinya from Parliament strengthens the broader struggle for regime change in Uganda. He asserts the people of Kampala clearly liberated themselves as early as 2001 when he first stood against Gen Museveni because he always defeated the incumbent at the Presidential level up to 2016 when he last contested. The other opposition leaders equally won their races for the other lower level positions.

Dr. Besigye says those genuinely seeking change to make Uganda a better-governed country should focus on identifying and recruiting more fighters as opposed to super intellectuals who he previously described as opportunistic and self-seeking. "This problem of people fighting for small positions at the expense of the broad struggle isn't only a problem for Kawempe North but even here [Kyaddondo East]. We had a lot of NUP people contesting for the MP seat and fighting one another in order to win instead of focusing on the broader struggle. Even after a decision was taken to recognize one as the official candidate, all the others remained because the focus is on the money Mr. Museveni has put in those offices," asserts the vastly respected opposition leader who says he has witnessed these petty fights for positions in Kampala since 2001 when he first came to the political scene as a leading challenger for Gen Museveni.

The politician from Rwakabengo also observed that now would be the best time for what they started sometime back as "United Forces of Change" to be amplified once again because it's very easy for all change-seeking forces to work together when there is no election around the corner. Watch video interview here

It's also Dr. Besigye's wish that the MP office doesn't make Mohammed Segirinya complacent and turn him into a lukewarm activist crusading for political change as has been the case for many others over the years the moment they get elected to big office. He stressed that, even when the Kawempe North MP may have imperfections, the broader anti-Museveni struggle should remain the priority of all Ugandans who are convinced that their country deserves to be governed better.

The much experienced KB looks forward to a day when all those seeking positions, as an end in itself, will realize that Kampala was liberated long time ago and focus their eyes on other areas where Musevenism still has an upper hand (as opposed to position-seeking which ferments confusion and thereby impeding the broader struggle for a better-governed country)

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"When a man is stung by a bee, he doesn't set off to destroy all beehives"

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