VOTE FOR ME: Throngs of supporters jostle to see and greet President Museveni at Kapeeka in Luwero district yesterday.

By Henry Mukasa in Luwero
and Cyprian Musoke

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday launched his campaign in Semuto, Luwero, where he described the opposition as murderers. He said the opposition committed massacres in Luwero Triangle but were seeking to return to power through the vote.

Museveni told the rally that the Movement chased away murderers from Luweero. “When we chased the enemies, we called all the people to come and work with us in the broad-based government, like (Paul) Ssemogerere (of the Democratic Party). When it was nearing election time, he ran away,” he said.
He said in 1996, Ssemogerere campaigned under the Inter-party Forces Co-operation, which sought to destroy the Movement.

“In 2001, they used other people like Kizza Besigye. They wanted to destroy the Movement. The people they are working with committed atrocities. They are with UPC, and all those bad soldiers,” he said.

He said when the Movement came to power, it found many problems which it had slowly worked on. He said it started with national problems such as immunisation, Universal Primary Education and entandikwa loans.
“Those who ask: ‘How shall we eat peace?’ know nothing. Not only did we bring peace, we also brought universal adult suffrage,” he said.

He said Ugandans no longer die by the sword and the gun. “They want to reap what is already ripe. I don’t mind them reaping. But even where they have no input? I wouldn’t even mind but they want to chase away the owner? That is going beyond,” he said.

On the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Uganda plundered the DR Congo and the Congo’s demand for $10b in reparation, Museveni said Ssebaana was only a scared coward.
“I went to Congo to rout our enemies. When you hit at your enemy, you raise dust. If the people from outside have spoken, I don’t mind but I have beaten the enemy. Ssebaana is scared, wooo, wooo,” Museveni said.

“What kind of leader is that? Congo had become a hub of our enemies and we beat them, and we raised dust. We shall talk about that later,” he said.

He said the Ssebaanas kept quiet in Idi Amin’s time. “But for us, we went ahead and hit the enemy. We shall plead thereafter. Was Congo heaven? Even the people from Congo spoilt our things. Was our property of little value? Uganda needs a leader who is brave. Don’t make a mistake. Vote for Museveni,” he said.
He said FDC’s Besigye fled to South Africa, thinking that was heaven.

“We first kept quiet. When he engaged in bad activities, we talked to them about what he was doing. They want us to keep quiet because he is contesting. Is there anybody who is untouchable? In Uganda we don’t tolerate impunity,” he said.

He said in the 2001 campaign, minister Ruth Nankabirwa’s and Vincent Nyanzi’s bodyguards beat up people and the two were almost arrested.

“To bring sanity, everybody must submit to the law. From the bush time to date, 23 soldiers have been executed for mistakes,” he said.

He made several stop-overs at Bwaise, Kawempe, Matugga, Makulubita, Ssemuto and Kapeeka and promised to work on the road in February. Museveni said Luwero was his Mecca.

In Bwaise he was stopped four times by supporters, while in Nakasongola, a huge crowd of supporters in yellow drowned the area.