Government by apprehending Forum for Democratic Change politician Col. Dr Kizza Besigye and opening up Treason Charges against him, is falling in his trap according to former senior member of the opposition party Hon. Beti Namisango Kamya.
Mrs Kamya observed Saturday morning that government and President Yoweri Museveni have continued to give unnecessary attention to Dr Besigye and often fallen for his tricks, much to the government’s own detriment.
Besigye, who was arrested three days ago in the Capital Kampala and airlifted to the north western Moroto district, was yesterday charged with treason which carries at most a death sentence.
The charges are believed to have stemmed from a viral video in which he was seen taking oath as the newly elected President of Uganda, only a day before the inauguration of President Museveni at the Kololo Independence Grounds which took place on Thursday.
The development as expected has since attracted widespread local and international media attention despite the blockade of social media websites by government.
Mrs Kamya while appearing on the weekly capital Gang show this morning admonished government to paying attention to what she termed as Besigye Katemba.
“We all know that for one to be sworn in as president, they have to be introduced by the Electoral Commission. The Chief Justice has to preside over, and the sworn in president has to be handed the instruments of office as we saw at Kololo,’ she said.
“Anything else is just Katemba (drama). I don’t know why government would even give any attention to this activity. They continue to fall in the trap of Dr Besigye by giving a lot of attention to what goes on.”
She added, “Besigye is a big brand, but this brand is the work of Mr. Museveni and the NRM; they have built the Besigye Brand and they are continuing to market him at their expense.
Government Spokesperson Mr Ofwono Opondo while commenting on this development said that he too was initially against the idea of charging Besigye with Treason for the second time, but added that security could have had other undisclosed reasons they did so.
“Obviously there are things that we could have done differently,” he said, “We could have chosen as a government to ignore Besigye and his group’s purported swearing in. But that also means that you have full information of what are the other things they want to cascade.”
“We don’t know what the police and the intelligence have, supposing Besigye and his group were allowed to continue full throttle. Is Besigye they type that was going to stop only at the swearing in?”
“Luckily if police are wrong about apprehending him, the alternative to challenge this action is available. For as long as they have not harmed him, they are right.”