Early Life and Career
Besigye, the second child in a family of six, attended primary school at Kinyasano Primary school and Mbarara Junior School. While at primary school, both his parents died. He did his O-levels at Kitante High School and A-levels at Kigezi High School. In 1975 he joined Makerere University School of Medicine and graduated in 1980 with a Medical degree (MBChB).
After leaving a medical job in Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, he underwent military training and joined the 1980-1986 National Resistance Army (NRA) guerilla rebellion against Milton Obote's government. He was responsible for the guerillas' health and particularly attended to the Chairman, Yoweri Museveni.
When Yoweri Museveni became president in 1986, Besigye, then aged 29, was appointed Minister of State for Internal Affairs. In 1988, he was appointed Minister of State in the President's office and National Political Commissar. In 1991, he became Commanding Officer of the Mechanised Regiment in Masaka, and in 1993 he became Chief of Logistics and Engineering. Before his retirement from the army shortly before the 2001 elections, Besigye had risen to the rank of colonel and was a Senior Military Adviser to the Ministry of Defence.
In 1998, Besigye married Winnie Byanyima, a former Member of Parliament for Mbarara Municipality and the first female aeronautics engineer in Uganda. Museveni at his youthful stage used to live with the Byanyima family in the 1960s. A boy, Anselm Besigye, was born to Kizza Besigye and Winnie Byanyima in September 1999.
Read more about this topic: Kizza Besigye
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