Struggle for 2026 starts

Dr. Kizza Besigye has cut a quiet figure before and after the 2021 general elections.

But silence can not be associated to Dr. Besigye who has returned to the streets with a fresh idea.

The former FDC Presidential Candidate unveiled his new found pressure platforms ‘People’s Front for Transition’ on Thursday in Kampala. The People’s Front for Transition is one of the several pressure platforms Dr. Besigye has used to push his struggle since he left the army and NRM in 1991. He has worked with Reform Agenda and Walk to Work among others. Dr. Besigye, too, worked in coalition with Inter party coalition in 2011, IPC 2015, The democratic Alliance, TDA in 2020 and the United Forces of Change in 2021.

The opposition leader then had a conversation with NTV On The Spot programme where he extensively explained to the viewers his platform. Dr. Besigye revealed his plans to roll out the platform to the masses.

The FDC leader called for calm among his supporters in the execution of the struggle goals: He said: “The People’s Front for Transition is a non-violent struggle. But as we all know, those who we oppose, violence is their means of survival. That is why they kill people. You have never seen me throwing a stone but I have wounds.

Dr. Besigye, however, stated: “The People’s Front for Transition is a platform for action. We have talked enough. 3 weeks from now, we will call people to action. “Twetase” is this new movement’s clarion call. We want people to rally together to protest against any form of injustice. Our symbol is the red card.”

The NRA bush hero, reminded his supporters: “I was born in the crisis, realised it as a young man and made a decision to apply myself to the resolution of that crisis. That is how I ended up in the bush and where I am now. Nearly my entire adult life has been spent in the struggle.”

Dr. Besigye outlined his timeline when he said: “We are going to engage other stakeholders in the next 2-3 weeks about the process of transition. We want to know how the transition should be managed up to the time we start living in the country we desire.”

He recollected: “Those who use guns to take power use deception to keep it. They hold regular elections to create the sense that people can make decisions. Mr Museveni should know this better than anyone because he went to the bush after losing an election. Is there power in Parliament? Is there power in the Judiciary? NO. Power in this country is held by those with guns.”

Dr. Besigye said: “It is costly to be a leader in a struggle. It takes sacrifice. People do not appreciate this. People think that it is a privilege to be a leader. It may be the case for those going to parliament but not us who are in the struggle.”

He added: “Part of the reason our schools are close is because it is a deliberate approach of keeping our people ignorant, uninformed. That is why the media is also controlled. The struggle is to empower citizens to have decision making power.”

The former cabinet minister in the President Yoweri Museveni’s government went on: “Uganda is the only country in Africa, and I dare say the world, whose schools are still closed in spite of the pandemic. There has been no education in Uganda for 2 years. The crisis of ignorance has intensified.”

Dr. Besigye outlined: “At independence, the leaders crystallised the core of Uganda’s problems into 3 things. Ignorance, disease and poverty. These are issues of human development. We are being shown infrastructural development. What about human development?”

He said: “Legitimacy is what the majority of the people in the country desire. That is why I believe that President Museveni is totally illegitimate. Our pursuit, now, is to push him out. We have a duty to do everything within our power to ensure that what was intended by the constitution is protected. That is partly what this whole struggle is based on.”

The opposition strongman alerted: “A constitution is a facilitating instrument. It does not act, people do. People may choose to act in accordance to what is agreed on or against it. It is when there is action against what has been agreed on that people must protest.”

On the transition from President Museveni, Dr. Besigye stated: “The transition Uganda desperately needs is one from gun rule, whose effects most Ugandans are aware of, to a dispensation where there is free will of Ugandans, and where people influence activities of the country.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADZPpD4MOJE