The National Unity Platform – NUP Party President – Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine – has appealed to his supporters not to lose hope.

“We remain hopeful and determined to continue our struggle for a brighter future for all Uganans,” reads part of Bobi’s new year message delivered Sunday.

As we begin 2023, Bobi says “I wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for your continued support and dedication to our cause.”

“Along the way this past year, your belief in our common vision for a better, more just and equal Uganda has been a constant source of motivation and inspiration for us. 2022 has been a challenging year, filled with both triumphs and setbacks. Many comrades including Jakana Nadduli have lost their lives for criticizing the regime. Denis Waiswa and Yakubu Kiggundu died in the line of duty. John Ddamulira, Semuddu Michael and Muhammad Kanatta disappeared and remain missing to date. Hon. Ssewanyana, Hon. Ssegirinya and comrade Olivia Lutaaya spent their second successive New Year’s Eve in jail. But through it all, we have remained committed to our fight for justice, freedom and democracy. We have stood firm in the face of intimidation and persecution, and have continued to raise our voices against corruption, abuse of power and the suppression of human rights.”

According to Bobi, he is particularly inspired by the courage and determination of “our youth.” “Despite bearing the brunt of the regime’s brutality, you have stood up for what you believe in and have not been afraid to speak out against injustice. Your voices remain a major driving force behind our cause, and I am proud to stand alongside you in this fight. As we look ahead to 2023, we remain hopeful and determined to continue our struggle for a brighter future for all Ugandans.”

Bobi acknowledges that “the road ahead will not be easy” but notes that “with your support and solidarity, we will keep fighting for the change that we know is possible.”

Therefore, he said: “let us continue to work together and keep the fire burning in our hearts.”

“Let us never lose sight of our mission, nor be discouraged by the challenges that will come our way. We are in this together.”

Four-time Presidential candidate, Col RTD Dr. Kizza Besigye has for the first time hinted at retiring from active politics.Dr. Besigye ha been in the country’s political scene since 2001 and has contested for Presidency in 2001, 2006, 2011 and in 2016. The former opposition Forum for Democratic Change – FDC Party President was Friday speaking at a memorial service for the Busiro South MP late John Patrick Musisi at Namuzzi village, Ssisa sub-county in Wakiso on Friday, Besigye when he said that the Bible he believes in prescribed seventy as the life expectancy. Dr. Besigye, a former ally of President Yoweri Musevei is currently aged 66.

“I have four years to continue with this struggle,” KB (as a section of his supporters call him is reported by the URN to have said. He said that during the remaining period, he would commit his entire effort to fight until freedom is achieved.

Besigye turns 70 in four years.

He, however, criticizes those who do not believe in an age limit in the performance of given functions, adding that the age limit was a biblical prescription.

Earlier on, he described as futile efforts by the opposition in Uganda to dislodge the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) from power using the ballot. He said that the same NRM is suffocating political parties and as such, will never allow those parties to freely organize.

He said he had listened to the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP) Mathias Nsamba Mpuuga outlining the legislative agenda for 2023. Besigye said the year 2026 would not be a magical year even if the agreed joint opposition candidate wins because Museveni is the Electoral Commission” and the “courts in case of electoral litigation.”

Besigye said the late Patrick Musisi who died in 2005 still lives because of the struggle he started, the struggle for freedom still continues through the people he mentored. He said Musisi worked for the unity of the opposition to struggle for that freedom and the conditions he was militating against still obtain as critical opposition is denied space and assembly.

He also noted the rampant illegal arrests and abductions, all of which he said needed Ugandans working together to make a new beginning and a transition before they can think of political ideologies and colors.

In attendance was a host of current and former MPs, politicians, and religious and cultural leaders who attended the ceremony. MPs included Muwanga Kivumbi (Butambala), Dr Lulume Bayiga (Buikwe South), Joseph Sewungu (Kalungu West), Robert Ssekitoleeko (Bamunanika), Betty Ethel Naluyima (Woman – Wakiso) and Asumani Basaalirwa (Bugiri).

Other politicians included former MPs Ibrahim Kasozi, Salam Musumba, Latiff Ssebaggala, and Paul Mwiru.

Sadam Gayira, President of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) said the NRM was a tree already eaten by ants and that the opposition only needed to push in a common direction or else that tree hits the house and animals.

Dr. Bayiga said that the late Musisi generously invested in them as budding politicians in the Uganda Young Democrats-UYD.

Samuel Lubega Mukaku, said the opposition was not making any gains when he sees an opposition party recruiting from a fellow opposition party.

While the opposition continues to wail, the NRM senior supporters including the Vice President Jessica Alupo are already canvassing for support for Museveni ahead of the 2026 polls.

Four-time Presidential candidate,  Dr. Kizza Besigye has taken a jibe at Internal Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire, Chief Justice Owiny Dollo, President Yoweri Museveni and his son Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

While appearing on NBS’ Morning Breeze on Monday morning, Dr. Besigye revealed that from the end of last year when they talked about the failure to stop the current crisis and how it must be dealt with, they have seen the escalation of the violation of Human Rights.

“The drone phenomenon came back plus arresting people and others disappearing. This is state terror that has been escalating from that time,” he said.

Besigye adduced that this armed violence in the country may be from people who can’t survive and are fighting for their survival adding that he doesn’t rule out a rebellion but rather a possibility considering the political situation in the country.

“What is most likely, however, is that this armed violence is state inspired. I am increasingly inclined to believe that the violence we are seeing is State-inspired to create some kind of emergency.”

He contended, “There is no doubt about the existence of gross Human Rights abuses. Security people have been shown on camera crashing our people.

“Have those who crashed people ever been arraigned in any court? Who is protecting them? The Otafiires of this world. Otafiire saying what he is saying is the utmost abuse of the intelligence of Ugandans.

“There has been a lot of talk about the war in Ukraine, which has pushed the economic crisis further, but the crisis in Uganda started before the war in Ukraine. ”

The four-time presidential candidate propounded that the crisis is intensifying every day, and that this leads to other things like labour externalization and insecurity because of the desperate situation in the country.

He added that political action is not just defined by what political parties are doing but it is the population that determines the political mood.

“Otafiire’s right place should be in prison. He is the Minister in charge of Internal Affairs. He has seen what has happened because of his police officers. Didn’t he see Kakwenza?”

He maintained that Otafiire has never paraded anyone who tortured Kakwenza Rukirabashaija or anyone under his watch.

He asserted, “All political actors in the opposition united and agreed that electoral processes will not free Uganda. That came as a result of the experiences during the by-elections we had.

“As time has gone on, it has become increasingly clear that the purpose of Muhoozi doing what he has done and coming when he did, is related to the political crisis in the country.

“Muhoozi increasingly has now presented himself as two things. A younger generation and saying he represents something new, not the NRM.

“They want to package a message that will attract the young people to him, then, at the right time, tell the people, “we are not ready, let’s support my father for another term.

“That’s why he (Muhoozi) is rightly called a ‘standby generator’ by some groups of people.”

He also disclosed that Muhoozi and Mr. Museveni are the same. They represent exactly what Ugandans should end.

“Our position is clear. We want a transition from gun rule to popular rule. We have laid out what needs to be done in the transition. We need a new consensus.”

He intimated that Muhoozi is simply responding to the tone they have set, he is not setting the tone adding that he can’t dismiss Muhoozi because all power belongs to their family.

“The Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo will put on his wigs but with no power at all. Parliament is a joke, it has nothing, and that’s why we need a new consensus that will develop new institutions that will give people power.”

Besigye divulged that Muhoozi is the overall boss of the military, not Mbadi and that if one brought Mbadi anywhere in the country, no one will identify him, everybody knows Muhoozi and Saleh.

“You see the Vice President representing the First Lady, a minister! This is what the country must end.”

By Kalamira Hope