If Uganda’s politics were a matter of first declare first serve, Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye would be the official President of the Republic of Uganda today.

The erstwhile opposition leader on Wednesday May 11 2016 was sworn in at a brief ceremony in Kampala and took oath of President of Uganda despite prolonged battles with Uganda police that had sworn to stop Besigye from declaring himself as President.

Besigye and his party Forum for Democratic Change insist they won the February 18, 2016 Presidential elections with about 52% while the Electoral Commission gave incumbent Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni a comfortable victory of over 61% to Besigye’s 35.6% in the official results.

As the country awaits the official swearing in of President Yoweri Musevni for another 5year term at Kololo on Thursday May 12, 2016, the swearing of Besigye a day before provides a bad stroke in Museveni’s continued quest for strong control of all matters in Uganda.

Museveni who has ruled Uganda for the past 30years is facing ever growing opposition from Besigye, his former bush war medical doctor. Although Museveni has been declared winner in all past four elections in which he has competed with Besigye, this year’s election campaigns, results and the events after have given the most stark reality of how strong the opposition and Besigye in particular have grown into a formidable force.

The FDC party on their twitter page confirmed that Besigye was sworn in at Nakivubo stadium on Wednesday and promised to form a transitional government of national unity. They have even shared this video.

The swearing in of Besigye is no doubt a key milestone in the defiance campaign that the party declared after what they termed as rigged elections. But this swearing in might miss being a key talking point in the country as the government banned media coverage of  the so-called defiance campaign. There are reports that social media websites will be switched off Wednesday evening as the government tries to ensure no one organizes to disrupt Museveni’s swearing ceremony on Thursday.

Several Heads of state have started arriving in Kampala for Museveni’s swearing in but the tense situation in Kampala might give little evidence of celebration. Earlier on Wednesday Entebbe road was half closed off while much of Kampala shops and offices had to close early due to the commotion between police and Besigye in down town Kampala.

The FDC has on their party facebook page earlier today promised Museveni would swear in on 12th May, the same day the Chef Justice Bart Katurebe is expected to swear in Yoweri Museveni.

President Museveni has however assured Ugandans that his National Resistance Movement government is fully in control and no one can and will disrupt the swearing in ceremony and indeed peace in Uganda.

As a matter of fact, after addressing people in Kampala and scuffles with the police, Besigye was arrested and is expected to be presented for charging in Nagalama court.