Besigye: I’m confident the struggle will soon be complete

Veteran opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye has assured Ugandans the struggle against misrule will soon bear fruit.

Since falling out with President Yoweri Museveni at the turn of the millennium, Dr Besigye has been the country’s most fierce opposition leader.

A physician for former National Resistance Army (NRA) rebel leader Museveni in the five-year bush war that brought the current government to power in 1986, Besigye has challenged his former boss in four of the elections.

In three of these, he was a candidate for main opposition political party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).

After disputing the four polls as rigged in favour of his former ally, Besigye has declined his party’s request for him to challenge Museveni for the fifth time in a row.

He says he will concentrate on ‘Plan B’ as party president Patrick Oboi Amuriat faces Museveni in the 2021 election for the country’s top seat.

In his remarks at the wedding ceremony of youthful activist Simon Wanyera at Emerald Hotel in Kampala at the weekend, Besigye assured Joan Wanyera, the bride, and other guests present that the struggle would soon materialize, and that there was no need to be afraid.

“The struggle we are engaged in, I am very confident, we shall complete it soon, and that’s why I am not a candidate this time,” said Besigye.

“I think I should put all my effort where it matters, and I know where it matters; and make sure that we can have a country we can all be happy to live in as equal citizens with equal opportunities, and that the wonderful resources here in this country can all be shared by us equitably as a country.”

To the couple, Besigye reminded them to expect both roses and pricks, but was optimistic there would be more joyful moments than sad ones.

“As they say every good rose has some pricks; it has a very good scent but if you touch it, you may get pricks. Don’t just look for the best in the marriage, but be prepared to persevere both through the bad. I’m sure the good times will be much more than the hard times.”