Former Presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye has today afternoon travelled to United States where he is expected to meet high ranking government officials.
Highly placed FDC sources told ChimpReports on Monday night that Besigye would meet senior staff at U.S. State Department and the Pentagon.
“Besigye is on his way to the Pentagon,” said a source who preferred anonymity so as to speak freely.
“He is going for serious engagements, then State Department and finally White House.”
The timing of Besigye’s trip is noteworthy as he had just returned from a tour of United States and Europe.
It is understood that for many years, the Pentagon had decided to give Besigye and Uganda’s opposition a cold shoulder.
But the recent support from U.S. officials at the Ugandan embassy in Uganda and Washington could be changing the course of events in favour of the FDC honcho.
Besigye has as well successfully portrayed himself as a victim of political persecution of the current political establishment by president Museveni.
His movements are always restricted and recently spent time at Luzira prison on treason charges.
The Uganda government accuse Besigye of engaging in defiant acts that destabilise the country.
It remains unclear if Besigye will get support from Pentagon.
He has previously asked major western powers to cut off support to Museveni’s government.
However, Kampala remains a strong ally of Washington especially in counter terrorism operations and enforcing regional stability.
The U.S. recently gave Uganda military choppers.
U.S. support to Dr Besigye would be a huge success for FDC mobilisers in the Diaspora and also galvanize his local support base.
Besigye recently gave a lecture at the extraordinary convention of eminent lawyers in New York.
Observers could argue that Besigye’s meeting with Pentagon would be a strong signal to Museveni who continues to seek partnerships with Russia.
A senior Russian official met with Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa in Kampala to discuss strengthening of ties in areas of communication, security and oil production.
Russia is currently facing a diplomatic onslaught by U.S. over President Vladimir Putin’s intervention in Ukraine and Syria.