Uganda’s four-time presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye has described Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Kahinda Otafiire as the loud speaker of three-decade ruler Yoweri Museveni on the campaign to scrap the age limit.

Besigye and Otafiire, who both participated in the war that brought Museveni into power, faced off on a Thursday night show, The Frontline on NBS TV.

Otafiire was coy on whether he supported the removal of article 102b of Uganda’s constitution that bars anyone above 75 years and those below 35 to contest for president, suggesting that his role was to facilitate the process of debate on whether to scrap or maintain the limit.

But Besigye said he was disappointed in his former bush war comrade for reducing himself to Museveni’s loud speaker.

Besigye added that Otafiire was now associated with “the bad news of age limit removal”, arguing that it was the reason district chairpersons had chased him off their meeting at Namboole at the weekend.

“It’s painful sitting next to my comrade and freedom fighter Otafiire who at his mature age says he’s just Museveni’s loudspeaker,” Besigye, who sat next to Otafiire, said.

Otafiire admitted: “Otafiire: I would like to bear the insult that I’m Museveni’s loudspeaker. I was appointed by Museveni and I don’t represent people of Ankole.”