Nangayi Guyson AfricaNews reporter in Kampala, Uganda
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has described those complaining about the high cost of living in the country as sick people. Presiding over the national celebrations to mark the international youth day in Arua town, the president said those complaining are against development.
This comes a day after the main opposition leader Kizza Besigye who this week court dropped all charges against him and other opposition leaders launched a second round of walk-to- work protests in Masaka district in a rally organized by Masaka Municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga under the Activists 4 Change (A4C) pressure group, Dr Besigye was joined by Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Nandala Mafabi and other politicians.
He told the crowd “they have been telling you Besigye is using you when for him he is rich. Yes, I am rich and my father was rich. My problem is stealing and you will not find stolen money in my bank account.”
“When I visited you at election time I was not joking when I said I will be based here to liberate the country. I am now back to inform you that after mourning our colleagues who died and those who lost their dear ones, we have to start again,” he said.
He said people have been asking him to use the gun to overthrow Museveni but he has told them the gun will not cause the desired change. “We could get the guns, and we know how to use them, but if we do that then we will need to use the guns to keep ourselves in power,” Dr Besigye said.
Commodity prices in Uganda started going up just after elections while fuel prices have been on the rise since last year. This has in turn increased the cost of living as almost every family’s basic food is somehow determined by the cost of fuel. Charcoal, one of the main sources of cooking in Uganda has more than doubled in price. In 2008, a sack of charcoal cost about Ushs 15.000 ($6), today the same quantity cost about Ushs 36000 ($ 17).
However, it is still unknown how the police this time will respond or handle this second round of “Walk to Work” protests, the first round was handled brutally which was condemned by all Humans rights groups.
Over 10 Uganda women’s civil society organizations among others, URINET, UWONET, FOWODE joined hands and walked from Kiira road playing ground, through Kamwokya, Yusuf Lule road, John Bahiiha Avenue and back to the starting point at Kiira road condemning the excessive use of force in quelling the “Walk to Work” protests by security agencies.
President Museveni has always blamed soaring food and fuel prices on poor weather and global economic factors.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has described those complaining about the high cost of living in the country as sick people. Presiding over the national celebrations to mark the international youth day in Arua town, the president said those complaining are against development.
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