A minister in President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s government has made allegations which, if true, could leave supporters of Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine and his National Unity Platform (NUP) disappointed.
This Museveni Minister’s statements will not only annoy NUP and Bobi Wine’s supporters but also those who believe in the ideals of Dr Kizza Besigye, the larger than life Uganda opposition leader who is currently on remand in Luzira for protesting high commodity prices and the alleged succession plan from Museveni to his son Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Commander of UPDF Land Forces.
According to Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo, the Minister of State in charge of Microfinance and Small Enterprises, both Besigye and Bobi Wine operate in ways that favour Museveni. But Bobi Wine, at least according to Kasolo has coiled his tail and agreed to work with the 77-year-old Ugandan president instead of embracing Besigye’s brand of politics that involves politics.
Now, Kasolo has showered Bobi Wine and his NUP with praises for choosing diplomacy instead of the Besigye-like politics of defiance and confrontation. The junior minister even thinks that NUP cares more about the people of Uganda as opposed to Besigye, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and now the People’s Front for Transition (PFT Red Card).
“NUP handles things diplomatically rather than protesting on the streets. Protests have destroyed people’s property, and in such times of high commodity prices, no one buys the idea of demonstrations,” Kasolo told NBS Barometer.
“NUP handles issues diplomatically. They really care about Ugandans. I like the fact that they decided to work together with the government to serve the people.”
The minister also castigated Besigye for sticking to a model of politics that has failed to remove Museveni and his NRM from power for two decades. According to Kasolo, Besigye has been wasting Ugandans’ time and should look for better ways of fulfilling the promises he has made to his supporters and those who believe in the struggle he leads against the NRM and its leader Museveni.
“Dr Kizza Besigye has been around for quite a while, and he has made a lot of promises he can’t fulfill. He should stop wasting his time going on the streets,” noted Kasolo. If a padlock is locked, even though you curse it for 20 years, it wouldn’t open. If the tactics you use have failed to work for 20 years, change them.”
Kasolo’s comments come at a time when Bobi Wine and NUP are under fire for betraying Besigye by refusing to join his recent protests against commodity prices and the rumored Museveni-Muhoozi succession plot. (Read Story Here).
Bobi Wine is also struggling with an NUP camp, led by party founder Moses Kibalama Nkonge, which recently ‘fired’ him and other leaders such as party spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi and secretary general David Lewis Rubongoya. Bobi Wine and his camp say they are not going anywhere and that the Kibalama group are crooks who should find better things to do with their lives. (Read Story Here).
