Mugisha Muntu and his vengeful dishonesty

By Benon Kasenene

I listened to General Mugisha Muntu on CBS (FM) saying that indeed (Dr Kizza) Besigye did not support him and that he instead supported Hon. (Patrick Amuriat) Oboi. He went on to state though that it was Besigye’s democratic right to support whomever he chose to but that what bothers him is the fact that KB (Kizza Besigye) did this secretly.

He added that he got this information from some of the delegates.

Now this brings out quite interesting issues which point to the fact that indeed there are no issues based differences in FDC rather, there are dishonest individuals trying to hide their personal issues behind what they claim to be differences in strategies.

Firstly, the man himself Besigye, has stated on several occasions that he took a personal decision not to openly campaign for any of the candidates although it is indeed his democratic right to do so and that he only used Hon.

Oboi’s campaign rallies to advance the togikwatako campaign following the fact that Hon. Oboi is the only candidate among the four that invited him to his campaign rallies. Now my number one concern is; why would Gen.

Muntu insist otherwise and based on the rumours he got from some of the delegates? Secondly, how can a man with such a wide intelligence back ground take rumours for gospel truth? Did he bother to taste this information before going out with it publicly?

Is Muntu suggesting that Besigye lied when he claimed that he never campaigned for Hon. Oboi? What is Gen. Muntu trying to achieve here, promoting rumours on radio and creating uncalled for acrimony in the party based on flimsy issues?

Has he for example talked to KB over these issues? Muntu was free to invite KB to his campaign he didn’t, someone else did. Indeed Muntu was as well free to ask KB for his support (or test him) and hear his response, which although am sure would have been as follows; i took a personal decision for the sake of party’s cohesion not to openly campaign for any of the candidates and my single vote will remain a secrete, but the General did not do this either.

BTW, whether openly or secretly Besigye had a right to support any of the candidates, however, Muntu says he is bothered Besigye supported Amuriat secretly which Besigye denied and it is now upon Muntu to prove it otherwise. Let’s even say KB supported Hon. Oboi secretly why would anyone be bothered about that?

Is it a crime in FDC to support someone secretly?

Is this one of the issues that Muntu will be consulting about in order to decide whether to start a new political party or not? Indeed if at all it is part of the issues then it is laughable.

I have tried my best to understand the real prevailing issues in FDC that would even lead to separation attempts but i have actually failed to find one other than personal issues such as name callings, misunderstanding defiance as to being opposed to organization etc.

I remember, while in school whenever they would call you a certain name and you fought back you would then be sure it will stick. Calling you a mole when you are actually not is it even an issue for debate? Are you not actually promoting it yourself in disguise? I know one would claim it stopped people from supporting the General but would that then imply that if Amuriat lost he would also probably be telling us that he has lost because people in the

General’s camp called him a villager?

BTW i have heard people from other parties and formations saying FDC as a party is being used by Museven and NRM to hoodwink Ugandans, i have also heard people saying that whenever KB demonstrates he is paid huge monies sujui oba” from where etc, you also hear people saying that Besigye is being fronted by Museven and it is the reason all his businesses are flourishing despite his street protests etc.

Tell me whether you have not heard people saying that the equatorial mall building was bought by Besigye using money he makes out of street protests, i can go on and on but the list is endless.

I would have never expected that a man of Muntu’s stature and vast knowledge including intelligence background would indeed be bothered and diverted by such idol talk really.

One of the things that separates Kizza Besigye and makes him a daring of the people it is his ability not to waste valuable time on none issues, and idol talk, he keeps his eyes on the ball (fighting the dictatorship) and he refuses by all means to be diverted.

He has been fiercely fought by Government, he has been betrayed and fought by his fellow opposition leaders and actors, he has been called a Museven mole in the opposition by some political actors, he has been called a dictator, power hungry, an angry man etc others have said he is fighting with Museven over a wife, he has been imprisoned uncountable times, slept in almost all police cells in Uganda from Karamoja to Kabale, framed as a rapist, a rebel leader etc but in all this he has never given up, he has never been diverted to pursue those fighting him, he has never even gone after those fighting him within the opposition ranks at least not publicly.

Andrew Mwenda has dedicated a negative critique of KB, writing daily critiques full of lies on social media and in his magazine, denouncing him on TVs and radio talk shows plus seminars and i remember Besigye replying him only once.

In TDA grown up men and women were falling off their feet maligning KB, trying to convince all that he was indeed an unsellable candidate and that it was about time he gives way for someone else to carry the mantle, the people defied this reasoning due to trust issues, they virtually told the wonderful ladies and gentlemen in the board room politics of TDA that their trust was in Besigye and any other alternative to him must as well go through the process of earning their trust, the rest is history.

Lastly, the talk about defiance vs organization is an empty talk only being used to advance personal issues in disguise. I have on several occasions listened to KB on TVs and radio talk shows plus campaign rallies stating that for defiance to succeeded we shall have to organise very well both overtly and covertly, not forgetting that he was indeed the brain behind the formation of power 10 structures that helped FDC party to win the 2016 Presidential elections.

The question is where is the evidence that KB is for defiance miners organization. Why should people continue to insist that he is against organization and that he only believes in defiance?

Then you hear others saying he created a different power center at Katonga in contention with Najjanakumbi administration.

Firstly, one of the reasons KB gave as he resigned from the FDC Presidency was that he intended to concentrate on political activism, mobilising democratic forces and actors across party lines against the military dictatorship, was he expected to carry out such activities from Najjanankumbi? Another reason he gave if i remember very well was the need to enable FDC to organise and prepare other leaders. Hence, he only resigned from FDC Presidency but did not retire from politics like what Ssemwogerere did with DP.

Am happy that General Muntu after the recent defeat at Nambole has as well announced virtually the same thing, at his hotel Africana press conference he announced that together with his group they will be going out to mobilise Ugandans across party lines to fight the Museven dictatorship.

I am now seeing something called “Muntu for Uganda” others are calling it the third force. I have seen KB’s statement welcoming Muntu’s new idea of activism. Never mind that KB resigned from the FDC Presidency to go for activism yet on the other hand the General has elected to go activism after losing the FDC Presidency through a free and fair elections.

Yet what matters though is that they’re now all headed to the field. KB has been time and again with the people in the field, the General has announced he is headed to the field and POA has declared the same, Museven get ready.