Besigye vows to continue with protests

Written By:Judith Akolo,    Posted: Sun, May 01, 2011

Kizza Besigye arrived in hospital in Nairobi on Friday(Photo/AP)

Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has vowed to continue with his protests against the high cost of living  once he is discharged from hospital.

Dr Besigye now recuperating at the Nairobi Hospital says the brutal attack at the hands of security agents in the Ugandan capital, Kampala was a direct attempt on is life.

The leader of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change - FDC sounded the alert saying he will continue the push until his government yields to demands of Ugandans to help bring down the high cost of living to manageable levels.

"The struggle in Uganda is about marginalization and the high cost of living that has pushed many Ugandans into incomprehensible situations over the last few days," said Dr Kiiza Besigye who is still admitted at the Nairobi Hospital in Nairobi.

Addressing the press, the opposition leader denied allegations by President Yoweri Museveni that he was armed and attacked security officers provoking his violent arrest last Thursday.

Museveni on Saturday defended police action against him.

Mr Museveni who was responding to questions from the participants at a Mindspeak forum in Nairobi claimed that Dr Besigye was first to attack the police with pepper spray before the police grabbed the can and sprayed him.

"Apparently it was actually that opposition leader who first sprayed pepper spray against police officers," Museveni said.

"There is no problem for Besigye to walk. Either to walk to work or to walk as an exercise, whatever he wants there is no problem... but we are asking him 'please inform the police so that you agree with them where you want to walk'," he said.

According to three doctors attending him, the opposition leader will remain in hospital for five more days.

A visibly hurting Dr Besigye was wheeled into a specially prepared room for the press conference where he recounted his ordeal and suffering at the hands of Ugandan security agents.

Dr Besigye is being treated by doctors, Dr Timothy Byakika an orthopedic surgeon, Dr Oscar Onyango an ophthalmologist and Dr Charles Kariuki a cardiologist.

According to Dr Byakika, Dr Besigye suffered a damaged cornea when he was sprayed with a liquid containing some unspecified chemical.

He said Besigye was being treated for the eyes, a fractured finger and multiple soft tissue injures.

According to the doctors, Besigye will have to stay in hospital for another five days under close observation and monitoring.

President Yoweri Museveni arch rival sustained injuries inflicted by police during protests over rising cost of fuel and food in Uganda. 

He was arrested for the fourth time on Thursday as he engaged in the walk to work protest.

The attack on the opposition leader led to a public outcry from various civil societies and diplomatic missions in Uganda.

Television footage showed Besigye being beaten and drenched repeatedly with pepper spray before he was thrown into a police pickup truck on Thursday.

He was later released on bail and flew to Kenya Friday evening for treatment of injuries sustained in the arrest.

Two people were killed and at least 90 injured in Kampala after police fired bullets and teargas at crowds protesting against the arrest of the opposition leader.

The former personal physician of President Museveni, worked in Nairobi as a medical doctor before he quit 30 years ago to join the incumbent Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Movement and Army that fought a bloody guerilla war that saw Museveni become President in 1986 after ousting Tito Okello's interim government.

Besigye for the third time in a row has lost to incumbent Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni but claims that the government used intimidation and rigging to win the election.