But how brave is Kizza Besigye?

As you might know, dear reader, that interview that Mzee Boniface Byanyima gave to then The Observer’s Herbert Benon Oluka sometime in 2007 has never left me.

For a long time, I have marveled at the bravery of the old man’s decision to reject a marriage proposal from a newly minted president. What levels of confidence were these?

But as Besigye continues in incarceration, I have had the chance to sympathetically think about Museveni’s side of the story – of intense trying and rejection. What hell did he really go through in this entire episode?

Re-reading the interview, I now fully understand how Yoweri Museveni crushingly loved Winnie Byanyima. Rejection from the old man – and not the belle – must have crashed him.

Time has an uncanny way of eating into our ‘erotic capital’, but if Winnie Byanyima still looks sumptuous 40 years on, I can only imagine how she looked then. She must have been stunning.

He must have died many deaths of being rejected after becoming the most important man in the country. Recall that the late 1980s and 1990s were Museveni’s times. He led the music charts.

Not understanding what was wrong with this old man, Museveni tried further: he sought the assistance of his father, Amos Kaguta to talk to a fellow old man. It didn’t work. Already romantically connected, had he wanted, Museveni would have kept beautiful Winnie as his girlfriend.

He would have kept her in one of the palaces with endless bounties. But he wanted marriage – sanctioned by both tradition and religion. Oh, poor Yoweri Museveni!

He must have chastened himself with the thought that being president, he will find many beautiful, brilliant and willing damsels at his disposal – for either casual encounters, or permanent affairs.

But as they say, “all women are women, but some are more women than others.” Indeed, as Mzee Byanyima told us about the relentless energies of this suitor, not having Winnie as wife must have hurt terribly.

Only Yoweri Museveni understands the depth of his pain – and maybe his eldest son also, who recently came out to blast his father’s (most beloved) former lover. Perhaps this son has an idea about his father’s stolen heart.

From Winnie to country

I am not trying to say that Kizza Besigye is now a victim of his romantic victory over Yoweri Museveni. (Although you cannot dismiss this possibility entirely, considering that Museveni really loved Winnie Byanyima and went to great lengths to try and win her father’s endorsement).

Indeed, even with the most diplomatic persons, where once love stood, after rejection – whatever the fine details – bitterness and anger tend to take its place. Kizza Besigye is both daring and a good man.

Firstly, the very careful Boniface Byanyima found him trustworthy to marry his daughter, and secondly, his bravery (or call it recklessness) actually saved Winnie Byanyima from long lonely nights.

Because, with a renowned romantic relationship with a serving president – a soldier and militant – it only takes a courageous or even reckless fellow to seek to marry the president’s ex-lover.

As they say downtown, “one must have those balls.” (Yes, pun intended). Even more daring to know – as closely as KB did – that this sitting president was yet to overcome his rejection.

Indeed, it had to be Col Besigye to openly call out Museveni’s bollocks as soon as he noticed their boss veering off the course. But there were earlier empowering victories in his jacket, of course.

Not only had he seen Museveni in his most vulnerable condition (as personal doctor often have access) but he had also conquered a coveted palace – the love of Museveni’s life. (She must have been still).

And, as we would say downtown, “had eaten from the same plate and was still eating from that plate that was all Museveni’s.

Look, if we are hurt when our ugly exes – especially after they become exes – become someone else’s woman, please try and understand Museveni’s pain. Winnie is no ordinary ex!

To add salt to injury – again, this only had to be Col Besigye – Besigye would go on to become not only Museveni’s most indefatigable and incorruptible opponent, but also one who sought to dislodge him from the presidency.

Indeed, were it not for violence and corruption, Kizza Besigye would have become president in 2006 or 2011 or 2016 thereby beating Museveni twice – in romance and power.

This is Greek tragedian script. Again, dear reader, I am not arguing that this is why Col Kizza Besigye is likely to die in jail. Although this would not be entirely off the mark. Musevenists have told us that had he been so hurt; Museveni would have killed Kizza Besigye a long time ago.

Maybe, that is the entire point: keep him alive and hurt both of them or all of them even more. From that interview, Mzee Byanyima died a Museveni-hurt man.

My point is this: Not a man braver and more daring than Kizza Besigye walked this earth. Even if you call him reckless, notice that across human history, it has often taken the actions of avowedly reckless individuals, claimed narcissists and mad people for the lives of silent majorities to improve.

There’s a madness that pushes one into armed struggle – or into hunger strike. Mohammad Abdullah Hassan being labelled the “mad mullah” of Somalia wasn’t about medical madness but, rather, maddening bravery on taking on the allegedly indomitable British colonisers.

So, was Kenya’s Dedani Kimathi – and several other heroes in history. While we still continue under a Museveni empty tyranny, Uganda will be forever grateful to KB’s madness – just as Winnie.

yusufkajura@gmail.com

The author is a political theorist based at Makerere University.