Before Dr. Kiza Besigye was arrested and incarcerated, his message to Ugandans was that it was no longer viable to imagine the defeat of Museveni through the ballot. His message was re-echoed severally during all his public gatherings, radio, television and the print media, he meant what he said., it could have been a prophecy.
No wonder the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) did not field a candidate in the 2026 Presidential election even when Lukwago appeared ready for the challenge. However, to avoid appearing like a saboteur of the progressive forces of change, Besigye seized the moment and contributed money to Robert Kyagulanyi of the National Unity Platform (NUP).
Two things quickly went through my head on learning that Besigye had channeled his financial contribution through his wife Winnie Byanyima. I would want to imagine that the purpose of the money was to strengthen a bond between the two opposition outfits and therefore, sending Lukwago or Semujju would have been the right thing to do.
Secondly, the gesture of sending Byanyima instead of PFF members shows that others members are not on good terms with Kyagulanyi perhaps for fielding candidates against them. Unlike Semujju who came out openly to ask for Kyagulanyi’s vote, the likes of Lukwago, Kaija, Turinawe among others chose silence over confrontation.
The pictures taken at the function held at Besigye’s residence in Kasangati portrayed a very high level of hypocrisy. How can people fighting a common enemy front candidates against each other and expect different results. The message of the day was hinged on the same usual rhetoric of unity among opposition supporters, it was dissimulation.
While receiving the funds Kyagulanyi thanked Besigye for the support, describing it as both a financial boost and moral encouragement at a critical point in the campaign. Besigye’s gesture could have sent a message to his supporters to vote for Kyagulanyi and the final result could have been influenced by that olive branch.
Humanly speaking, I do not think the top leadership of PFF; leave alone those who participated in the political contestation were happy with Besigye’s financial gesture. How can Besigye give money to Kyagulanyi yet the likes of Lukwago are facing stiff competition from Balimwezo, a NUP candidate for Kampala Lord Mayorship.
If these two political parties indeed had the same objectives, why did they field candidates against each other instead of galvanizing the support. What are the chances that their divisions could give Beatrice Mao, the DP an advantage. These are some of the problems that Besigye’s contribution could bring to the genuine opposition.
On the other hand, is it not shocking for an inmate to finance a person who is free, what message was Besigye trying to send out there and what impact did the money have on the final lap? Of course, we do not know how much money was in that envelop but who cares, the size of the envelop suggest it was not much unless if it was in dollars or pounds.
I do not know how many times Bobi Wine has been to Luzira Prison to deliver goodies but Besigye’s gesture is one we cannot push under the carpet. Besigye has clearly inscribed his name in the books of history that even if he did not have faith in the ballot, he wished those who believed in the electoral process the best.
We are told Byanyima was instructed by Besigye to hand the money directly to Bobi Wine and that is what she did. Right in front of the camera, Winnie delivered the package accompanied by a short speech. In all fairness, the delivery meant that Besigye had washed his hands clean and that history would never fault him for being double faced.
Given his experience as a soldier, a bush war comrade, Museveni’s personal physician in the bush, a former political commissar, a four-time presidential candidate against Mr Museveni, Besigye has accumulated a lot of privileged advantage in politics. This means that his idea of considering other means of dislodging Mr Museveni was well informed.
True to his warning, Museveni “won” himself a seventh term in office and if nature does not act through death of disease, Museveni may stay with us long than we would have wished. He has already threatened to return in 2031. To Museveni, he does not see Uganda without him and this is what his followers have come to believe.
Out of the parliamentary candidate fielded by PFF, only Asinansi Nyakato and Betty Aol Ochan made it to the 12th Parliament. Others like Nyanjura, Kabaziguruka, Mwijukye, Lulume Bayigga, Semujju, Ingrid Turinawe, Harold Kaija are all counting loses having been trounced by a combined force of their nemesis.
All eyes are now looking at Kampala Capital City Authority where their candidate Erias Lukwago is tussling it out with many other aspirants including NUP’s Engineer Balimwezo. In the last term, NUP had about 41 candidates out of 44 for main stream councilors. It took wisdom for Lukwago to work with them for the five years.
With Besigye’s financial gesture to Robert Kyagulanyi, will the voters be swayed to vote the umbrella or will they have a blend of all political parties including the newly formed PFF under the custodianship of Elias Lukwago. Remember PFF did not win any position in Kampala during the just concluded general elections.
Wadada Rogers is a commentator on political, legal and social issues. wadroger @yahoo.ca
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