By Misairi Thembo Kahungu
President Museveni has repeated his earlier call for reconciliation with the Opposition saying the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has in the past incorporated that kind of arrangement.
Mr Museveni, who on January 14 won a sixth elective term in office, was speaking during the 35th anniversary of the National Resistance Army (NRA) victory at State House, Entebbe, yesterday.
While responding to comments made by Rt Rev Msgr Charles Kasibante, the Vicar General of Kampala Archdiocese, who led the opening prayer at yesterday’s ceremony, Mr Museveni said he is ready to reconcile with anyone who fronts an ideology that is different from that of the NRM.
“On the issue of reconciliation which Msgr Kasibante talked about…that is our way to do things. That is how you find that Idi Amin’s son is my deputy Director of Intelligence and when you see Taban, you can see that Idi Amin is around,” Mr Museveni said.
Earlier in his speech, he recounted how he fought former President Amin.
The President went on to list State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Henry Oryem Okello, the son to former President Tito Okello, Kibanda North MP Tampo Idi Amin, the grandson of Idi Amin, and Lands minister Betty Amongi, the daughter-in-law of Milton Obote, as fruits of reconciliation championed by NRM.
“So really for us, we do not have much problems (with reconciliation). We have the mouth and we use it to talk. The only thing we shall not tolerate is violence. This is the minimum. Violence, intimidation, and cheating are not allowed. Let everybody maintain peace, everything will move in a positive direction,” Mr Museveni said.
Uganda has just completed the Presidential elections, in which campaigns by Opposition candidates Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, of the National Unity Platform party and Forum for Democratic Change candidate Patrick Oboi Amuriat, met violence by security forces.
At least 54 people were killed by security forces in November 2020 after spontaneous protests broke out as a result of the arrest of Bobi Wine.
Bobi Wine, who came second in the presidential elections, was put under house arrest for nearly two weeks, until Court ordered the police and the army to vacate his private home in Magere, Wakiso District, on Monday.
