Former President of Forum for Democratic Change, Kizza Besigye was on Saturday ransacked by a group of rowdy youth believed to belong to the People Power group of MP Robert Kyagulanyi as he left CBS offices for a talk show.
Factions from the FDC have also hit out and promised to retaliate if the group does not apologize for the incident. The growth of this culture of hooliganism and intorelance is not surprising. These same groups of people where last year involved in chaos that led to the stoning of the Presidential convoy in Arua district during the By-Election. Other members such as MP Zaake Francis is currently before court in Gulu to answer changes of treason related to the attacks.
Mp Robert Kyagulanyi later came out and distanced himself from the group that attacked Besigye however he missed the opportunity to discipline his irate followers when he claimed that group(whose members are clearly identifiable as members of his inner circle) where sent by the State to discredit his efforts. This evident lack of leadership seems to be the underlining issue.
Hon Betty Nambooze of the Democratic Party has come out to say that “I would have been worried if any leader came out to praise those people who attacked Besigye. We have had 3 days to sleep over this matter and I kindly request the FDC members to withdraw that position of investigation. We should move on”.
“If we respect each other as opposition, the possibility that we shall merge into one group is high and this is what the people of Uganda want. The homework we have is to preach non violence as a method and demonstrate it”, she went on to say.
One is left to wonder, which kind unity do these groups keep on talking about?
Nambooze also rightly concludes that this kind of behavior vindicates President Museveni and the NRM party that has managed to withstand decades while continuing to create new partnerships. However her claim that they are the victims in the stand off is missing the point and self victimization is not the ideology that their followers signed up for.
Dr. Abed Bwanika, a former Presidential candidate himself says that, “Besigye has done his part, he should give space for other people to emerge especially if he means well for the opposition. If there is someone who can lead us in this dispensation, let us come up and support that person”.
He went to advise the opposition that, “No sane politician will support anyone to practice violence because of any disagreement”.
With opposition rallying the masses for support come the next general elections, we wait to see whether violence and hooliganism will be the chosen strategy or will they develop their capacity to offer alternative policy solutions to the problems faced by the Ugandan electorate.
