Kizza Besigye and Uganda’s Unfinished Revolution – Daniel Kalinaki

Kizza Besigye and Uganda’s Unfinished Revolution – Daniel Kalinaki

The topic – Kizza Warren Besigye, the larger-than-life opposition juggernaut. Respected Journalist Daniel Kalinaki has fashioned a reputation as a veritable thorn in the side of the incumbency. Using his weekly columns published in various independent media outlets, Kalinaki has succeeded in unparalleled expose of government excesses and various occurrences of overreach. Particularly brazen in […]

Kizza Besigye and Uganda’s Unfinished Revolution – Daniel Kalinaki
Kizza Besigye and Uganda’s Unfinished Revolution—Daniel Kalinaki 

The topic – Kizza Warren Besigye, the larger-than-life opposition juggernaut.

Respected Journalist Daniel Kalinaki has fashioned a reputation as a veritable thorn in the side of the incumbency. Using his weekly columns published in various independent media outlets, Kalinaki has succeeded in unparalleled expose of government excesses and various occurrences of overreach.

Particularly brazen in delivery, he channels the activist journalism of his predecessors, the class of Onyango-Obbo et al. It is on the back of those shining plaudits that I was visited with considerable glee to learn he had gifted us a soon to be released text.

The topic – Kizza Warren Besigye, the larger-than-life opposition juggernaut. Few political figures in the region have elicited as much interest and news flow as the retired soldier and former personal physician to the President during the bush war years.

Subjected to the full extent of vilification and injustice at the hands of a government he had a pivotal role in installing, Besigye has proven that he has no expiry date.

The towering persona of Rtd. Col. Besigye is only known to us through the constancy of his street led protests and ‘unbreakable spirit’ (a characterization made by journalist Andrew Mwenda).

The book provides insight into Besigye, the man, and a useful background to understanding one man’s almost irrational commitment to supplanting a long time rival. I would do you an unnecessary disservice by relaying some of the juicy revelations this book offers.

Besigye Arrested
Opposition leader Kizza Besigye being dragged out of a roadside trench by police during a protest on April, 2011. Photo posted on Twitpic by @cdanny_ug
Kizza Besigye
Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, speaking from his hospital bed in Kenya, told reporters he believes his life is in danger.
Photograph: Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images

Well written with a significant helping of drama, you won’t be able to put it down. It comes highly recommended.

I will say however, in an environment of paucity of books that document our political history, this one serves as an indispensable historical account. It’s most important contribution will however be to revamp the debate on life presidency, and the persistent abuse of power for the sole purpose of regime sustenance.

It does that by reminding us of the symbol of that struggle, Kizza Warren Besigye, the unfathomable sacrifices he has made and continues to make, in pursuit of his widely shared objective to realize regime change, avert an impending lifetime presidency and dynastic rule.

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2 thoughts on “Kizza Besigye and Uganda’s Unfinished Revolution – Daniel Kalinaki”

  1. Pingback: BOOK REVIEW. KIZZA BESIGYE – And Uganda’s Unfinished Revolution – By Daniel Kalinaki | UmunyaRubanda

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