By Aggrey Baba
[A person who forgets where they came from is like a tree without roots. It will not stand for long].
On Wednesday, February 19, at the National Unity Platform (NUP) headquarters, Winnie Byanyima, wife to incarcerated Dr.Kizza Besigye reminded Ugandans of a painful truth, one that left many in disbelief.
Opposition leaders, supporters, and legal minds had gathered for a prayer session dedicated to political prisoners, including Dr. Kizza Besigye, whose deteriorating health has not deterred authorities from keeping him in Luzira Prison. Her words were not just a plea for justice, but a lesson in betrayal.
“I heard someone praying, asking God to soften Museveni’s heart,” she began. “But that will never happen”. [Do not expect a leopard to change its spots], Byanyima said, adding that Museveni shall simply have to be pushed him out.
She then shared a deeply personal story from Uganda’s past, one that left the audience in silence.
During Obote’s second administration, a man rushed to their home in Mbarara with distressing news. A woman had been brutally beaten and left for dead in the middle of the road. When her father asked who she was, the man replied, “We suspect her to be Museveni’s mother.”
Without hesitation, Byanyima’s father sent her elder brother, the late Bernard, to rescue Esiteeri Kokundeka (rip) since his son was in the bush, leading war agains Obote’s impunity.
For two years, they cared for her, feeding her, ensuring she received medical treatment, and offering her a place of refuge. Eventually, after the war, General Salim Saleh arrived to take her back to her family.
[The child of a snake is still a snake]. “The man whose mother we saved now keeps my husband locked in a prison cell, even as his health declines,” Byanyima said bitterly.
The prayers at NUP headquarters, attended by leaders from various opposition parties, underscored a collective commitment to justice.
Kenya’s Martha Karua, the lead lawyer in the Besigye and Hajji Obed Lutare Kamulegeya case, commended the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that civilians should not be tried in military courts. She further announced her intention to apply for a law practicing license in Uganda, promising to fight for justice across East Africa.
“When the hyenas rule the land, the goats must learn to stand together,” Karua declared. “Justice is not a favor, but a right. And we shall not rest until it prevails.”
Byanyima’s words were a lesson that, [The hand that feeds you should not be the one you bite]. But in Uganda today, it seems history has been rewritten by those who choose to forget. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
