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Uganda's Main Opposition Leaders Unite, Call for Peaceful Protests

Halima Athumani

   WAKISO, UGANDA - Uganda's top opposition leaders -- Robert Kyagulanyi
   of the People Power Movement and Kizza Besigye of the People's
   Government --announced Monday they are joining forces to demonstrate
   against President Yoweri Museveni's administration.

   Citing what they called the mismanagement of the COVID-19 response,
   they are calling on Ugandans to carry out peaceful protests Tuesday.
   The Ugandan government's deputy spokesperson has called any street
   actions illegal.

   Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as singer Bobi Wine, trumpeted his
   message through his music at a rally on Monday.

   The singer-turned-legislator and longtime opposition leader Kizza
   Besigye are urging Ugandans to take part in a peaceful protest Tuesday
   against the government and its response to COVID-19.

   The two leaders say officials have mishandled the response to the
   pandemic by shutting down the economy, mismanaging public funds and
   throwing millions of Ugandans into poverty by placing them under a
   lockdown.

   Wine says their objective is to liberate Ugandans who he says are
   continuously being oppressed by the regime.

   "So, I want to call upon all Ugandans, not to sleep. Speak out and
   speak loudly. This campaign is called No, "Nedda". And don't say No
   silently. Say No in word and in action. Get your saucepan, if you're
   hungry. Whether it's a whistle, whether it is a metal gong, whether it
   is a bell. Or if you feel oppressed, make some constructive noise. This
   is going to be necessary noise," he said.

   However, the meeting was briefly disrupted as police accompanied by
   soldiers from a local defense unit entered the room and asked people to
   leave.

   Besigye used the opportunity to express his dismay at the ruling
   government.

   "From tomorrow, at lunch time, let's raise our voices and say this is
   our country. We have 90 percent or more of our people totally
   marginalized by the less than one percent that uses guns to maintain
   power in this country and to subjugate the people of this country," he
   said.

   Wine and Besigye's cooperation comes less than eight months before
   Uganda's general elections.

   However, President Museveni recently suggested that if the pandemic
   does not end by then, the elections could be postponed. He has also
   banned political gatherings.

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