Besigye's wife speaks out on his fragile health in prison

Winnie Byanyima, the wife of opposition leader Kizza Besigye, on Monday painted a grim picture of his condition after visiting him in prison.

The prison facility, she described, had six or seven locked doors and was located along a dark and narrow corridor.

"He was lying on a small bed that occupies the whole length of the room," she recounted, her voice heavy with despair. A pile of old newspapers and 2 old cardboard boxes next to his bed left room for one stool to sit on," she narrated.

Byanyima learned it was considered a special prison for suspected terrorists. The emotional toll of seeing her husband in such dire conditions was overwhelming.

"He is weak, has lost alarming weight, and is dizzy he hasn't eaten in five days," Byanyima shared with an unmistakable sense of outrage.

She pointed out that Besigye's detention was not merely illegal but an act of "kidnapping." With fury in her words, she demanded the immediate release of her husband, calling on President Museveni and the army chief to recognize his basic human rights.

"He is a citizen with rights, just like them!" Byanyima said.

Unsubstantiated claims

Besigye's wife also addressed the recent intrusion by Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi, who made unsubstantiated claims about her husband's health after forcing his way into Besigye's prison cell.

She called the minister's actions a violation of Besigye's privacy.

"He neither invited nor consented to see Baryomunsi. A prison officer forced him into the room," Byanyima said.

According to Byanyima, Baryomunsi's visit was nothing more than a PR stunt, as Besigye remained silent throughout the encounter.

"The impunity is staggering. The humiliation is endless. No one should be subjected to this," she said.

The government's announcement on Sunday that it would transfer Besigye's case from a military trial to a civil court was met with scepticism.

"This is suspicious," Byanyima remarked, noting that her husband had been on a hunger strike since February 10, 2025, to protest his unlawful detention.

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Although the government pledged to comply with a Supreme Court ruling that deemed the military trial unconstitutional, Byanyima's doubts remained clear.

Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland KC, voiced her concern over the ongoing detentions, including Besigye's.

She expressed sadness and deep concern about Uganda's failure to uphold the values of human rights, good governance, and the rule of law, as outlined in the Commonwealth Charter.

"We are saddened and deeply troubled by the continued detention of Dr Kizza Besigye," Scotland said.

She called on the Ugandan authorities to provide the best possible medical care for Besigye, further urging his immediate release.

The Commonwealth also questioned the legitimacy of Besigye's abduction from Nairobi in November 2024, a move that disregarded the orders of the Ugandan Supreme Court.

"Their continued detention raises serious questions about Uganda's commitment to upholding the rule of law," the statement read.