Veteran opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye has told Ugandans who think that security agencies favour incumbent Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni that the 76-year-old long-serving leader had lost support even among men and women in uniform.
According to a report by the Africa Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF), security agencies have severally favoured Museveni by allowing his mobilizers to hold campaign rallies, and barring his opponents from gathering people in large numbers under the guise of Covid19 prevention guidelines.
“The Opposition presidential candidates have repeatedly complained that Covid19 restrictions are being applied selectively against them and not to the campaign of President Museveni,” the judges said.
“The candidates, particularly Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, Mr Patrick Oboi Amuriat, and Gen Henry Tumukunde and their supporters have been harassed, many of their meetings have been blocked or violently dispersed, roughed up and humiliated.”
AJJF further observed that “the campaign of President Museveni and his National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has extensively violated these same rules. Processions led by Bebe Cool’s pro-NRM musicians, the President’s campaigns in Arua, Nebbi and other areas of West Nile and the processions organised in Acholi Sub-region and Kotido by supporters preceding the President’s arrival were beamed on television. These clearly showed unmasked, overcrowded supporters in a carnival like environment.”
The jurists further noted that “the evidence that President Museveni’s campaign routinely violates Covid19 regulations, is overwhelming yet his campaign has not been frustrated by the police or resident district commissioners (RDCs), on account of violating Covid19 measures.”
They went on to say that “it would appear that the fight against Covid19 has been weaponised to give an unfair electoral advantage to the candidate of the NRM party.”
But according to Besigye, “it’s not Security favouring Museveni; actually, majority never vote him!”
“It’s Museveni (in abuse of his office) commanding Security Forces to terrorise his opponents.”
Besigye has previously claimed security officers want change and support the opposition.
And there have been figures to justify this claim.
For example, in the 2016 presidential election, Besigye beat Museveni at the Makindye military barracks.
He polled 437 against Museveni’s 198 votes.
