The current up-country tour by Col. (Rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye, the leader of the Forum for Democratic Change-FDC Katonga faction, is facing a financial setback after the funders accused him (Besigye) of misusing the money they had collected for the events.
This stemmed from a crisis that erupted after Col. Besigye visited Mityana district on Thursday, April 18, 2024, in an attempt to rebuild his political career.
While in Mityana, he paid each boda-boda cyclist who received and ushered him a big entry into Mityana town the sum of Ugx55, 000 and also paid each supporter who came from the rural area the paltry sum of 7,000 as a transport refund. This, however, left many supporters irritated after receiving the small refund.
Chaos reportedly erupted when hundreds of disgruntled supporters took their anger to funders (mainly people intending to contest for various offices in 2026), accusing them of paying them a meagre transport refund.
A source at Katonga has confirmed that the funders and other well-wishers have accused Dr. Besigye of spending more money on hiring and fueling boda-bodas from nearby towns to usher in his grand entry and opted to pay little or no money for transport refunds to their genuine supporters.
The source revealed that Besigye’s decision has angered the funders who mobilised the supporters and blamed him for wasting money on Boda-bodas, a move they believe could work against their political will, stating that it can only benefit Besigye.
In a leaked budget detail for his forthcoming rallies in Hoima City (Bunyoro), Besigye has allocated up to the tune of Ugx50 million for hiring and facilitating bodaboda cyclists who will receive and usher him into the Oil City.
Nsubuga Haggard, one of the disgruntled funders, stated that they are also concerned about the small amount of money allocated to cater for the transport refund for the invited supporters in Bunyoro.
“Imagine, he (Besigye) has allocated only Ugx3 million to pay for transport refunds for these supporters whom we have invited to the rally! We know these supporters will think we are the ones who have failed to pay them a reasonable refund; these are our mobilizers, and they could take revenge once they are not facilitated well,” Nsubuga said.
Nsubuga, among other funders, have threatened to pull out of funding Besigye’s comeback as they say he is misappropriating funds that might cost them genuine supporters.
While in Mityana, FDC’s Besigye prominently blamed the government for failing the growth of opposition parties, service delivery in education, health, road network, and economy through overtaxation, extravagancy by government officials, and exploitation.
Supporters in Mityana are now questioning his moral authority to speak on those matters, as they say he depicted a lack of accountability and financial discipline.
