Veteran politician, Col (Rtd) Dr Kiiza Besigye has called upon Ugandans yearning for change to join the online campaign struggles that have been spearheaded by renowned academician and cartoonist Dr Jimmy Spire Ssentongo.
Last month, Dr Spire took over social media platforms especially Twitter by storm when he launched an online campaign to expose government’s failure to meet the expectations of Ugandans when it comes to service delivery.
He first launched a campaign called #KampalaPotholeExhibition whose aim was to expose the poor roads in Kampala City. Indeed the campaign was highly felt by the ordinary Ugandans and those at the centre. It even prompted President Yoweri Museveni to allocate Shs6bn to KCCA to renovate the potholed roads in the city. From there, he launched another campaign exposing the poor health facilities and services being offered to Ugandan. Last week, he also embarked on another campaign called #UgandaSecurityExhibition, to expose the loopholes in Uganda’s security system. However, the academician pulled out of the campaign moments later, saying that he was receiving threats on his life over the campaign.
“I’m aware of evil plans aimed at me. Well, I’ve made my humble contribution. I hope this country traces its soul. I hope a time comes when we ask ourselves: Is this the best we can be? I leave now, but: SILENCE ALL ALARM BIRDS, SNAKES WILL COME IN SILENCE. It was a pleasure,” Dr. Spire said in a tweet.
However, Dr Besigye has asked Dr Spire not to give up on these human interest and bloodless demonstrations because they have since created a great impact in the masses and the regime has been put under pressure to cater for Ugandans.
“In a country like Uganda, where the freedom fighters, leaders of struggles of any nature are very small in number yet those they are fighting a very big group, it’s very dangerous and tedious to remain standing. Therefore, what has happened to Dr Spire I know it very well because when you come out single-handedly as Spire did, you will be silenced by this big group. So, the cure to this is for all Ugandans to join people like Dr Spire and fight together,” he said.
Besigye added that if Ugandans join leaders of any struggle, the enemy will fail to silence all of them thus achieving the desired goal.
“If a big number of Ugandans embrace struggles like that of Dr Spire, those in power will stop thinking of silencing whoever comes and talks about their failure.”
“When we carried out walk to work, those in forces used to say if you silence Besigye, every program will be silenced. So if Ugandans fail to support Dr Spire, he will become a sacrificial lamb and it will be a win for the dictator.”
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