Besigye beats police blockade, pays tribute to late former MP

NGORA.

Opposition activist Kizza Besigye has beaten heavy police deployment and accessed the home of former Soroti Municipality MP Charles Willy Ekemu at their ancestral home in Atapar Village, Ngora District, before he addressed residents in Koloin trading center amidst heavy downpour.

Mr Asuman Mugenyi, the police’s director operations, had told the press at Koloin primary school play grounds that Dr Besigye would not be allowed to go on with his activities since he and Forum for Democratic Change party chairperson for Ngora, Ms Sarah Eperu, had not abided by their earlier plans contained in their letter to police boss Kale Kayihura. Ms Eperu was earlier in the day arrested and detained at Soroti central police station.

Dr Besigye told the deceased’s relatives that he will not relent in his struggle for change in keeping with what his deceased colleague, Ekemu, died struggle for.

He said the late Ekemu passed through a lot of troubles but he never abandoned the struggle, something he said he respected the deceased for.

“He had no money but he remained steadfast in his pursuit to fight for good governance,” Dr Besigye said of Ekemu.
“That is why we came to salute him and bid him farewell; but also to comfort the family and the people in this area,” Dr Besigye said.

He also paid tribute to Ekemu’s father, Phillip Omwaswa Ekemu, who passed away just a day after his son’s demise.
In Koloin trading center, Dr Besigye told residents that the current food crisis in the country was because of poor governance, adding that many people have died because the government cares more about a few while the majority remain in trouble.

“Let’s not become weak,” Dr Besigye said, “If we do, our friends who have died in the struggle would have died in vain.”
Amidst the downpour, the police commanded by the Ngora DPC Esau Opio blocked the Soroti –Mbale highway using their patrol van after Besigye and team locked themselves inside their car causing traffic along the road. Normalcy later returned after Dr Besigye’s driver managed to negotiate through a tight space and sped off heading towards Kampala.

He was accompanied by former Kumi County MP Patrick Amuriat, Kawempe South MP Mubarak Munyagwa, former Ngora FDC candidate Stella Isodo, among others.
Mr Oboi urged residents not to be cowed by the police.
“This is our country and we should steadily fight for justice and what is right,” he said.