For our 20th January 2012 Poll, we asked our readers "Does the opposition gain from their planned rallies and protests?" Lately the opposition politicians in company of the Activists For Change (A4C) have picked up where they had stopped last year. Unlike the previous A4C activities which were characterised by massive confrontations between the activists and the police, this time the police has given a green light to the opposition politicians to carry out their rallies in gazetted areas and the violence has been limited.

These were the results obtained from the poll that ran on our Uganda Talks blog; 63.6% yes, 32.5% said No and 3.9% said they were not sure.

In a related Uganda Talks blog story, Besigye declares "final onslaught" on Museveni that was posted on January 26th, some of our readers posted the following comments.

Dun: Besigye can be likened to Moses of the Bible or Old Major of Animal Farm; very useful but won't make it to the Promised Land.

Ocheto: For people who have miserably failed to contain let alone extirpate Museveni's brand of corrupt and divisive or sectarian politics to keep ridiculing Besigye or opposition efforts at it is the worst form of cynicism there is. Museveni needs to be stopped especially because as if the destruction he has brought on Uganda isn't enough for his power avarice and gluttony he has now turned and trained his eyes towards Arusha to lead the EAC. That would be a catastrophe for the entire region as it gives birth to a virulent and destructive form of dictatorship at a much wider scale. Those who would rather wallow in enslavement, regress and misery than live in freedom, progress and happiness have no purpose of their brainwashed and compromised lives but sing praises to their oppressor or oppressors. For people like Besigye, who saw the light after blindly following a dictator, what could be more rewarding and redeeming than to fight a rapacious, corrupt anti-people government?

Below is a press release released by the Activists for Change national coordinator MP Mathias Mpuuga in relation to the Walk to Work reloaded campaign.

ACTIVITS FOR CHANGE (A4C)

KAMPALA

27th January 2012

PRESS RELEASE

Today the 27th January 2012, marks the 5th day since we successfully launched the Walk to Work reloaded. We would like to thank Ugandans for accepting to wholly embrace this program. The unprecedented attendance of our rallies is further testimony to the ownership of the issues we, are championing by the Ugandans.

We now further realise that the quest for change transcends political, economic and social cultural differences energises further the spirit of activism to which we are committed. We take note of the tribulations in course of duty that so many activists, including bystanders and members of the media, have endured at the hands of a brutal police force.

We have variously witnessed in shock, as the goons in police uniform and plain clothed thugs backed up by police brutalise, and maim innocent and peaceful Ugandans. We have registered our displeasure to the police authorities, but I would like to report to you fellow countrymen that Commissioner of Police Andrew Kaweesi assured me that, we are yet to see the worst! But I would like to take this opportunity to inform him that we shall not wait for the worst to happen, we are out to stop further plunging this country into anarchy by men and women in uniform.

We would like to condemn in very strong terms the deliberate police efforts to thwart and attempt to build a police state in Uganda. At the same time call upon all peace loving Ugandans to join and stop the uniformed men and women from usurping our constitutional powers and enshrined in Article one of the National Constitution.

I would like also to announce that our program for W2W reloaded shall continue with more rallies in Kyengera, Katwe, Mukono, Wakiso, Nansana and other strategic places in the Kampala metropolitan area. This then postpones the rally earlier on scheduled for Kololo this Saturday until we have dully reached out to Ugandans who demanded for our message before the rally at Kololo. We shall announce the new date for the Kololo rally.

For God and My Country

Mathias Mpuuga (MP)

National Coordinator A4C