Uganda’s powerful opposition leader Col Kizza Besigye Kifefe has described the ongoing debate on age limit as useless because his all time political nemesis President Yoweri Museveni has unlimited the powers to decide whether to quit or cling onto power for life.
Besigye, appearing on BBSTV owned by Buganda Kingdom on Wednesday evening confessed that Museveni is too powerful because he controls all the three arms of government, therefore he can decide whether to scrap off the age limit law to be able to stand in 2021 or to contest again without abrogating the constitution.
This is the first time Besigye sounded ‘hopeless’ since he fell out with the regime in 1999 after penning a missive exposing how NRM diverted from the core principles.
Besigye was articulating issues in the local language Luganda.
“Omuntu omu yayina amanyi, atte yasalawo kyayagala kyikolebwe kyekyiba kyikolebwa,” meaning that power belongs to one man who wants what should be done in his favour.
The FDC heavy weight further said that said because power belongs to one man who toils to suffocate all institutions in the country, it’s the reason an opposition political party can’t single-handedly unseat the incumbent through the ballot.
“Because this same person will use his powers to rig the election, because he won’t handover power willingly,” the horse voiced doctor said.
He advised legislators who are pro-age limit law to stop wasting time but rather divert the efforts and attention to the masses, mobilise them and create awareness that President Museveni can be removed from power using peaceful means.
“Most of our people are hopeless they accepted to let man rule them until he decides when to leave,” Besigye said.
Asked why he participates in an election process well knowing he can’t win, the opposition icon responded that, “we scores highly because we exposes the establishment.”
“How else would people know that votes are rigged if we don’t participate in the process,” he asked.
Earlier in the day Museveni rubbished the age limit talk as nonsense and diversionary, insisting that he has not heard of the proposal to amend the constitution.
Constitutionally Museveni is not supposed to seek another term of office because he will have clocked the mandatory 75 years of age.
But a section of ruling party lawmakers have fronted a motion to review the constitution and subsequently remove the age limit law.
