The leadership of opposition pressure groups ‘People Power’ and ‘People’s Government’ have agreed to ‘put their differences aside and work together in order to free Uganda from dictatorship and oppression’.
People Power is led by Kyadondo East legislator Robert Kyagulanyi while four-time presidential candidate Kizza Besigye heads the People’s Government.
The two leaders have in the past clashed over the best way to overthrow President Museveni, with Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, indirectly accusing Besigye of claiming there is no democracy in Uganda yet he has stood for presidency four times.
Besigye on the other hand said Kyagulanyi’s claim that using national IDs to oust Museveni is myopic.
“Those who think they shall use national IDs to remove Museveni don’t understand the man,” Besigye said in Jinja.
But at a joint press conference addressed by People Power spokesman Joel Ssenyonyi and Betty Nambooze, who represented Besigye in Kampala on Wednesday, the two groups called upon their supporters, members and leaders to focus their energy and resources towards quickly ending the 33-year-NRM/Museveni junta.
Nambooze is also the Mukono Municipality representative in Parliament.
“We agreed and commit ourselves not to engage in conduct which creates disharmony and undue collision amongst the forces of change and to always act in the manner that reflects togetherness and comradeship,” a statement signed by Besigye and Kyagulanyi reads in part.
Ssenyonyi noted that this new marriage does not mean that they will not work with other sides in the struggle such Democratic Party Bloc and Jeema.
“I know many people will come out with sentiments that People Power has left DP or other parties in the struggle. But I want to tell you that in this struggle, everyone is needed. People Power will work with everybody in this struggle,” he said.
Nambooze reechoed the message, saying: “We know Museveni is too powerful and the only way to defeat him is by being organized and uniting not that we are weak but to be on the same line. We agreed that despite belonging to different formations, we must work together as partners on the same mission.”
The two groups also condemned the ‘persistent violation of human rights.
“We take note of violation of human rights which have been persistently occasioned out leaders, indeed all other Ugandans who have attempted to organise against the brutal regime. These include unlawful arrests, detentions and torture, unlawful blocking of legitimate activities, violently breaking up of meetings and functions, blocking media against our freedoms of speech, expression, assembly, movement, conscience etc. The specific activities in pursuance of this point will be communicated from time to time.”
On the issue of who will lead the struggle, Nambooze said at the moment both principals hold equal powers.
“The issue of who will eventually be named joint 2021 presidential candidate will be communicated soon,” she said.
