By Sekaggya Seka Moses
Besigye, a former ally of Museveni, was part of the 26 men who fought alongside the president in the bush war from 1981 to 1986.
However, the two parted ways in 1998, with Besigye claiming that Museveni’s governance had strayed from their original goals.
Besigye went on to join the opposition, running for president four times under the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, but lost each time to Museveni.
Recently, concerns have been raised about Besigye’s health after he appeared in court looking critically ill.
Many Ugandans have called for his release from prison so that he can access proper medical treatment.
The concerns about Besigye’s health had reached a boiling point, with opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, leader of the National Unity Platform, giving Museveni’s government a 48-hour ultimatum to release Besigye from prison so he can access medical treatment.
This ultimatum was issued just hours before Museveni’s statement.
In response to the growing concerns, Museveni posted a statement on his official X account, formerly Twitter, saying that the correct question to ask is not why Besigye is being held, but rather why he was arrested in the first place.
Museveni emphasized that a quick trial is necessary to establish the facts of the case and to maintain stability in the country.
“The more correct question should be: ‘Naye Dr. Besigye bamukwatila ki?’ Why was Dr. Besigye arrested?” Museveni wrote. “The answer to that is a quick trial so that facts come out. Otherwise, you are promoting insecurity which is very dangerous for the country.”
Museveni also addressed concerns about Besigye’s health, stating that there is a government hospital in the prison and that Besigye’s personal doctors have been visiting him.
However, Museveni noted that Besigye’s hunger strike has contributed to his weakness.
“Besides, Dr. Besigye’s personal doctors have been visiting him and even taking him to private clinics. If there was need for any additional medical care, the government would be advised,” Museveni said.
“However, in this case, Dr. Besigye was on hunger strike. That is part of the cause for his weakness that we could see in the pictures that were in the Newspapers.”
Museveni criticized Besigye’s decision to go on hunger strike, calling it “unprincipled blackmail.” He argued that instead of demanding bail or forgiveness, Besigye should be demanding a quick trial to prove his innocence.
“If you are innocent, why do you not demand for a quick trial so that you can prove your innocence and expose those who are ‘persecuting’ you instead of demanding bail, forgiveness, as if serious crime is also entitled to holidays?” Museveni asked.
The president’s statement comes amid ongoing debates about the legitimacy of trying civilians in military courts, an issue that has been raised in Besigye’s case. Museveni acknowledged that there have been delays in the trial process, but attributed them to the courts rather than the government.
“It is the Courts that pointed out some gaps in the Military Courts and they ordered the transfer of the cases to Civilian Courts,” Museveni said.
“The concerned People are, therefore, working on two fronts. Transfer the files to the Civilian Courts from the Military Courts and the Gov’t and the legislators to close the gaps in the Military Courts.”
The opposition has vowed to announce their next course of action if the government fails to comply with their demands.
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