By Swift Reporter
Gen Salim Saleh has expressed optimism that ongoing efforts to resolve the detention of opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye could produce a breakthrough within three to six months, following his recent visit to the ailing politician.
Saleh, the younger brother of President Yoweri Museveni and chief coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation, disclosed that he had reconnected with Besigye after learning about his deteriorating health and subsequently intervened to facilitate access to specialised medical care.
Speaking on Friday while addressing Members of Parliament at Kapeeka in Nakaseke District, the retired general confirmed that he had taken up the matter following a request from Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
“I recently reconnected with Dr Kizza Besigye after learning about his illness and visited him,” Saleh said.
“Now that the CDF, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has asked me to handle his matter, I welcome the opportunity. In the next three to six months, we shall have a successful outcome,” he added.
Saleh told the legislators, who were visiting factories at Namunkekera Liao Shen Industrial Park, that his renewed engagement with Besigye followed a social media post by Muhoozi concerning the opposition politician.
He said his visit enabled him to assess Besigye’s health situation, after which he helped facilitate his transfer to the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) for specialised medical attention.
Beyond the immediate concerns surrounding Besigye’s health and detention, Saleh framed the intervention as part of a broader effort to address longstanding political divisions and prevent them from being passed on to younger generations.
“We are trying to help young people not to inherit generational quarrels. I hope we can convince each other in the next three or six months to get the Uganda we want,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing reports of consultations involving government officials, opposition representatives, religious leaders and other prominent Ugandans seeking a possible political resolution to Besigye’s continued detention.
Earlier this month, reports emerged that a committee of eminent persons had been constituted to support Saleh’s intervention, bringing together individuals associated with the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) and religious institutions.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao also disclosed on October 20 that President Museveni had directed consultations involving stakeholders in the cases of Besigye and former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, while emphasising that the discussions would not replace court proceedings.
On October 28, Minister Balaam Barugahara similarly appealed for patience, telling residents in Rukungiri that discussions concerning Besigye’s possible release were ongoing.
Although Saleh’s latest remarks offer a three-to-six-month timeline for a possible breakthrough, the specific terms of any proposed settlement and the position of Besigye himself remain unclear. His statement, however, signals a potentially significant opening for dialogue involving one of Uganda’s most prominent opposition figures.
