By Our Reporters
At the funeral of his son Timothy Mark Kainamura (46) in Rwakabengo Rukungiri district today, Mathew Rukikaire paid glowing tribute to opposition leader Col Kizza Besigye in a manner that inadvertently let out one or two secrets implicating Police Chief Gen Kale Kayihura and Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda. Rukikaire’s much cheered submissions regarding Dr. Kizza Besigye have inadvertently revealed how in February 2016 Premier Rugunda used his position to prevail on Gen Kale Kayihura to bend President Museveni’s Besigye confinement rules just to make KB emotionally comfortable. This clearly comes out of Rukikaire’s address to the mourners. Speaking at the sendoff of his son who, because of damaged brain motionlessly lived for close to 5 decades without ever uttering a word or understanding anything around him, Rukikaire said the following about Dr. KB: “This man called Besigye is very special. Besigye and I are so close; closer than any other politician. When my son [Timothy] died, I knew Besigye was out of the country in the US. I asked Roland Kagginda [Rukungiri Municipality MP] to inform him. Besigye cut short his trip in US to come and mourn with us. I was at my home in Makindye and saw Besigye coming for a vigil at 08:30pm.” As mourners cheered him on, Rukikaire added: “In times of contested elections, I never have difficulties reaching Besigye because even those that persecute him know that he is close to my heart. After the 2016 presidential elections, Besigye was detained at his home. No one was allowed to visit him but I did. How? I would go to Ruhakana Rugunda’s office and tell him I want to visit my friend Besigye. I would ask Rugunda to call Kale Kayihura so that he can instruct his police not to interfere with my visits. Kayihura would call his officers and my car would be allowed to go through to visit my friend. Police would only salute me like this and I visit my friend.” Rukikaire added that he, however, always finds it easier visiting KB in Luzira prison than home: “Because I don’t need authorization to visit him in prison. Having said all this, I think we need a solution for our country’s problems.” Timothy died of pneumonia at Gwattiro Hospital in Bweyogerere. Yet Rukikaire wasn’t the only VIP figure to praise Besigye at the same funeral. Security Minister Gen Henry Tumukunde, speaking earlier on, had said as much.
WHAT TUMUKUNDE SAID:
“There has never been a person in Uganda with power than Col Kizza Besigye. Even when he was still in govt, if he summoned you, you would see a young man with power under 30 years. But he never abused his power. The only person that almost got close was Amama Mbabazi. Besigye is out of government yet he still remains a very powerful man. But most importantly, he never divides people. I got information recently that a group of people went to consult him about certain things and I was told that he informed them that if it’s development, embrace it. I have known you (Besigye) as a person who never sabotages development. I think that’s why we are friends. I hope you can also be friends with your other powerful man (the President). Let me state here that if it wasn’t you Dr. Besigye, I would not be having a leg.” Clearly it’s only Gen Tumukunde (we can’t think of any other Minister in Museveni’s cabinet) that can have guts to say as much in honor of the man President Museveni loathes most and get away with it. We doubt there is any other minister in that cabinet (that Mzee John Nagenda once said is full of spineless men & women) can dare take that risk. Many would rather associate (not praise) with Besigye in total privacy fearing consequences of flocking with him publicly.
