The government has tasked former presidential candidate for Forum for Democratic Change Party (FDC), Dr. Kizza Besigye, to present evidence proving that he won the 2016 general elections.
On Monday, May 22, 2023, while appearing before the Uganda Human Rights Commission, chaired by Mariam Wangadya, over a case he filed in 2016, Dr. Besigye claimed he has evidence that he defeated the then NRM presidential candidate, President Museveni.
Ofwono Opondo, the government Spokesperson and also the Executive Director of the Uganda Media Center, said Besigye has turned this claim into a song and further tasked him to present evidence in court or publish it to the nation.
He said Besigye has the liberty to publish his results from constituency to constituency and district to district in the media.
Regarding Besigye’s claim that he has ever been arrested over offenses whose judgments have not been delivered to date and considers them political persecutions, Opondo advised Besigye to engage with the judiciary as an independent government arm.
MP Dr. Abed Bwanika, who belongs to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) but also contested for the presidency during the 2016 election, advised Besigye to present evidence that can substantiate his repeated claims.
Rt. Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu (a former member of the FDC party and ally to Besigye at that time) said UHRC should provide a fair hearing and make a judgment based on the information provided by the complainant.
Kizza Besigye Kifefe of FDC gathered a total of 3.270.290 votes in the 2016 elections, in which NRM’s President Museveni defeated him after acquiring a total of 5.617.503 votes.
Amama Mbabazi later filed a petition challenging the results, but the court upheld Museveni’s victory and declared him valid in accordance with Article 104 of the constitution and Section 59.
