The National Unity Platform (NUP) party presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, has said he has the support of the army in his bid to become president.
“Mr Museveni is so scared of us because some top army officials are on our side. That is the reason he has frantically made reshuffles in the army and police because he does not trust any of the officers he had put in those positions,” Bobi Wine said while addressing his supporters in Rukungiri District on Thursday.
“Like any falling regime, they will let people in their families or sons to be in charge of the elite security,” he added.
On Wednesday, President Museveni reappointed Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the senior presidential adviser on special operations as the commander of the Special Forces Commander (SFC), a specialised UPDF command unit that is responsible for the security of the President, his immediate family and vital national installations, including the country’s oil fields.
Lt Gen Kainerugaba replaces Maj Gen James Birungi, who has been SFC commander since June 2019.
President Museveni also replaced the deputy police boss, Maj Gen Sabiiti Muzeyi, with Maj Gen Paul Lokech, who has been on a special assignment to monitor the demoblisation and integration of South Sudan troops. Gen Sabiiti has been sent to the military headquarters for redeployment. Maj Gen Birungi has replaced Maj Gen Lokech.
However, Mr Ofwono Opondo, the government spokesperson, said the changes have always existed in the army.
“That is a superficial claim because President Museveni started making changes in the army when Mr Kyagulanyi was still in diapers. Dr Kizza Besigye has always claimed the same but we waited for the results and they never came and we can only wait for these ones too,” Mr Ofwono said.
“Two years ago, President Museveni changed Gen Katumba Wamala from army to civil service and he had earlier changed (the late) Gen Aronda Nyakairima so this is not new,” he added.
Col Deo Akiiki, the UPDF deputy spokesperson, said: “Mr Kyagulanyi is entitled to his own opinion, we have spokespersons who can comment but not him. We don’t want to involve ourselves in such.”
Before entering Rukungiri Town, he was first blocked by the security agencies at the entrance but was later escorted by the police to the district main stadium where he addressed his supporters.
He told supporters that he begun the journey of ending Mr Museveni’s regime 10 years ago, adding that is why he sang different songs that awakened Ugandans to demand for their rights.
“I started the journey of ending Museveni’s regime 10 years ago before many of you knew it. We have to work together put aside tribal differences and focus on one thing that is president Museveni. Am from Buganda but all of us have suffered the same so we need to be one-hearted and we fight the common enemy,” Bobi Wine said.
The NUP presidential candidate added that the only problem of Uganda is Museveni who instructs army and other government security agencies to kill innocent Ugandans and after he sacks them saying that he is in a mission of ending 35 year regime of President Museveni.
“Instead of investing money in improving health-care systems, he only buys tear gas and guns to kill our people. Few weeks ago over 100 people were killed by Museveni and his government thinking that we are going to withdraw from the race forgetting that we have decided to end his regime. Am telling you Museveni will go whether he wants or not but he must go, ” Bobi Wine said.
Kyagulanyi also hailed Dr. Kizza Besigye for mentoring him into politics saying that Dr. Besigye did a great job in awakening many Ugandans including him that’s why FDC and NUP are both aiming at ending Museveni and his people.
“I want thank Dr. Kizza Besigye for mentoring me into politics. Many of us have been able to come up after Dr. Kizza Besigye awakened us to start demanding our rights. It was Besigye who told us to go and we create more Besigyes and am also sending you to go and create more bobi wines.” Kyagulanyi told his supporters.
Barbie Kyagulanyi speaking to the people of Rukungiri and Kanungu districts said that as a mother she will do what it takes to see that the two districts are given district referral hospitals.