IGNORE COL BESIGYE AT YOUR OWN PERIL, MAK DON WARNS

By Our Reporters

Renowned for his brilliant arguments and insightful analysis, Makerere top law don (and also brilliant city lawyer) Robert Kirunda has predicted a major political come back for Col Kizza Besigye in the New Year 2019. “He will remain a factor I’m telling you because there is one thing about Dr. Besigye; that man has his resilience that is his alone and nobody can match him on that,” Kirunda said. “Let there be no mistake about that. For as long he hasn’t voluntarily retired from active political participation, there is no way you are going to wish away Dr. Besigye. It would be a mistake. I don’t know how to explain his political resilience but you can only write him off at your own risk. As long as he is alive and chooses to continue participating, he is going to remain a factor in Uganda’s politics for many more years. That will always be until he retires from politics.” Kirunda was this Thursday morning speaking on Simon Kaggwa Njala’s Morning Breeze program on NBS TV where he was hosted to discuss what he anticipates to shape the political terrain in 2019. Reminded about Besigye’s recent announcement to actively return to political activism in 2019, Kirunda said the events of that season will no doubt bring KB back to dominate discussion in the media space. “But the military will be out to stop him,” Njala said prompting Kirunda to rhetorically ask ”but do you expect Col Besigye, a soldier himself, to be scared of mere deployment of the military on the streets?” However, Kirunda said President Museveni must be sleeping more comfortably now seeing the continuous antagonism between Besigye and Bobi Wine’s supporters in the social media space. “I hope this doesn’t degenerate into street fights and confrontation because that will be the worst thing for the opposition in this country,” Kirunda said also regretting the tribal character this confrontation is beginning to take. He said in his view the following political figures and formations will continue to dominate the political space namely: President Museveni and his NRM, Besigye and his FDC, Mugisha Muntu and his New Formation, Bobi Wine and his People Power and to an extent Norbert Mao and his DP diehards. Kirunda said under Asuman Basalirwa, JEEMA is becoming more outspoken and aggressive “and that’s why they are becoming more visible and more influential than UPC.” He struggled to make any prediction about UPC which Njala insisted had died under Jimmy Akena’s stewardship. Justifying his hesitation to include FDC President Patrick Oboi Amuriat (POA) on his list of the major 5 players to dominate the political agenda in 2019, Kirunda said: “Until he decamps, the person bringing real energy to FDC will always remain Dr. Besigye and not necessarily Hon Amuriat.” Asked why he too doesn’t stop fence-sitting and join politics, Kirunda eloquently explained: “There are always two players to history. Those who make history and those who write it. For now I choose the latter,” he concluded wishing everyone a productive 2019.