Dr. Kizza Besigye, one of the founders of the newly registered People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), has accused the government of constitutional abuses leading to youth unemployment and military interference in politics.
Speaking from Luzira prison, where he has been incacerated for seven months, Besigye claimed that a few individuals and institutions, including private entities like churches, lack freedom and are controlled for the benefit of an elite minority.
Besigye was addressing thousands of delegates, through a recorded message, who turned up for the party’s inaugural delegates convention at Katonga Road. His photo was paraded before the delegates and placed in one of the seats on the front row.
He criticized the regime for illegally controlling national resources, stating that while citizens pay taxes daily, the funds are misused, enriching a few while the masses grow poorer.
Besigye also accused the government of manipulating information to spread propaganda, instilling fear among citizens, and fabricating charges against innocent people to maintain control.
“The dictator is using the information to dismantle Ugandans, leading people to live in fear,” he said.
Besigye condemned the regime’s divide-and-rule tactics, citing atrocities in Kasese, Buganda, and other regions. He urged Ugandans to resist bad governance through non-violent means, such as boycotts and demonstrations, arguing that armed struggle, while effective in removing dictators, often breeds new ones.
“Why do our people keep on asking government we want government to help us instead government has an obligation to serve them,” Besigye remarked, emphasizing the need for a mindset shift.
He called for community-led struggles to address issues like land grabbing and improve service delivery, encouraging citizens to demonstrate leadership without waiting for external guidance. Besigye stressed the importance of free and fair elections to achieve a free Uganda, rallying for defiance against the 40-year junta.