Besigye, who was violently arrested four times within the last month by soldiers loyal to Uganda strongman Yoweri Museveni for leading protests against escalating food and fuel prices, however vowed he would press on with his ‘walk-to-work’ demonstrations.
Robust and standing tall, with a backpack, and walking briskly on the streets of Kampala just a few days ago, the former physician to Museveni, was on Sunday an object of pity — reduced to a wheelchair and bandaged. He radiated the pain and misery associated with President Museveni’s brutality against protestors, especially Besigye, who today remains his boldest and fiercest political rival.
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| Ugandan Opposition leader Kizza Besigye speaks from the Nairobi Hospital on Sunday. He vowed to continue his protests. Photo: Collins Kweyu/Standard |
Besigye addressed the press at the Nairobi Hospital where he was brought to on Friday to seek treatment, just as Museveni too packed his bags to fly to Nairobi for a lecture.
On Sunday, Besigye, bandaged and suppressing pain, and surrounded by medics, cast a pale shadow of himself — and stood out in contrast to Museveni, his former friend and patient.
Lay in hospitalTheir fortunes appeared reversed as Besigye lay in hospital bed as Museveni, — who appeared to justify the terror unleashed on him by his forces claiming he did not apply for a permit — returned to his presidential palace in Kampala.
The former rebel leader on Saturday also claimed he wished his old friend quick recovery.
Besigye, who said he could hardly see, grimaced with pain as he spoke to journalists. His pain arose from being kicked, trampled upon and baton-whipped by Museveni’s ‘boys’.
Family members who accompanied him had anxious moments when he suffered a bout of hiccups. He narrated how he had to sneak out of a hospital in Uganda after he realised that Museveni’s soldiers had surrounded it.
"I sneaked out of the hospital after realising the military police who are unhappy with my release by the courts sealed-off the facility," he said as family doctors and family members stood by his side in a room at the hospital where he was allowed to speak with journalists.
Narrating his ordeal, Besigye revealed how the Nairobi-bound flight had to be delayed to wait for him after authorities temporarily refused to clear him to fly out of Uganda.
He, however, vowed that no matter what Museveni’s government did, he would continue his walk in protest.
"We will have to continue with the protests in one form or another until the situation is addressed," vowed Besigye.
His wheelchair image cast a picture of a frailty, the exact opposite of the tough opposition leader who has dared Museveni’s soldiers and paid for standing up against a man who in January marked 25 years in power.
Museveni also holds the record of being East Africa’s longest serving President.
Besigye told the international press conference at the hospital where he was admitted on Friday night that his ‘Walk-to-Work campaign’ aims to force authorities to address economic problems facing Ugandans.
Political mileageHe denied he was using the campaign to gain political mileage or oust President Museveni who trounced him in elections held in February.
Besigye assured his supporters he was responding well to treatment but would issue a comprehensive political statement when he is discharged — hopefully at the end of this week.
"His eyesight was affected as a result of the chemicals that were sprayed on him last Thursday," one of his doctors said.
Doctors Timothy Byakika, Oscar Onyango and Charles Kariuki said Besigye needs to stay under medical watch for the next four to five days to recover well.
Dr Byakika said Besigye had chemical eye injuries, a fractured ring finger and several soft injuries on his body.
"We thought he had a spinal facture but after several scans none was found. He had severe chemical burns on his body," revealed Dr Byakika.
Dr Onyango, a cardiologist said the chemical sprayed on him was either alkaline or acid but they are yet to know what exactly it is. He said the chemical caused severe injuries to his eyes and skin.
Besigye said he and other activists who came together under the banner of ‘Activists For Change’ planned to use the ‘Walk-to-Work’ protests to push authorities to address the economic activities in his country.
"We planned to walk to work twice a week and the protest was to be peaceful but instead they sent military police to beat us," he lamented.
He said he has been arrested four times since the campaign started on April 11. He denied Museveni’s claims he had used pepper spray on policemen before he was attacked.
Broken windowsVideos aired on television showed Ugandan security agents breaking the windows of Besigye before spraying him in the eyes with what looked to be a liquid but there was no instance where the opposition leader attacked the policemen.
He expressed regret one of the officers who was captured on camera smashing the window of his car using a pistol and a hammer is under siege from opposition supporters.
Riots broke out in the Ugandan capital over the treatment meted on Besigye on Friday with protestors blocking roads and burning tyres.
Museveni has said the walking campaign over the rising cost of living was illegal. He said he would not allow such protests to continue.
Besigye was flown in hours before Museveni jetted into the Kenyan capital to address a democracy forum dubbed "Mindspeak".
A political activist angered by acts of anti-democracy in Kampala shouted him down as he made his speech but was whisked away by security orderlies. The activist has since been released without being charged.
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