By Former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party president, Col (Rtd) Dr Kiiza Besigye, has outlined three strategies that he says Ugandans can apply to oust the ruling NRM party.
Dr Besigye disclosed the action plan while giving a keynote address during the FDC National Council meeting in Kampala yesterday.
He identified the mindset change of Ugandans as the number one strategy.
“In the crisis of failure to thrive, everybody must wake up. People won’t wake up unless we wake them up to reality,” Dr Besigye said.
The second strategy he said is building grassroot structures to create a network of determined leaders who will mobilise Ugandans to speak with one voice and act in unison.
“It is a must to organise, but we must organise for the struggle, which is different from organising people to go and throw a piece of paper in a ballot box. How you organise depends on what you are going to do, we must organise for the struggle,” Dr Besigye said.
The third strategy Dr Besigye identified is the use of action, but by applying non-violent methods.
“Some people think it means peaceful means, no, it is not, because we are fighting very violent people. We want to fight them even though they are using (guns). Other countries have fought and succeeded,” he said.
Dr Besigye urged members of the public to join the freedom struggle, describing it as non-partisan.
“Lack of freedom is not a partisan matter. Facing all the institutions of state that are acting against us should be non-partisan. In Fact, those without parties, the churches, the mosques have a duty to fight for freedom,”Dr Besigye said.
“I have been telling religious leaders, especially those in faith based-organisations that their primary role is to rise to become the voices of the voiceless. Fighting for equality is one of the primary religious beliefs and that is why they [religious leaders] must be in the this struggle,” he added.
“The struggle must encompass not just political parties but even the civil society organisations, the trade unions, faith-based organisations, and the Non-Governmental Organisations.
“All of us must organise the population to say no [to injustice],’’ Dr Besigye said.
Previously On several occasions, Dr Besigye has come up with strategies for regime change. One of them was the Walk to Work Campaign in 2012, where he rallied Ugandans to protest against the high commodity prices. After losing the battle against the Age Limit Bill through the ‘Togikwatako’ Campaign in 2018, the former FDC presidential candidate also launched the ‘Tubalemese Campaign’, which he said would help the Opposition achieve its goals. Last year, he birthed the People’s Front for Transition aimed at uniting Ugandans to remove the ruling party from power.
