By Aggrey Baba
On Tuesday, Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Norbert Mao said, while addressing the media in a press conference, that President Yoweri Museveni had directed his younger brother, Gen Salim Saleh, to spearhead negotiations aimed at finding a political solution to the cases involving detained opposition leaders Dr Kizza Besigye and Erias Lukwago. But former Rukungiri Municipality MP contestant Ingrid Turinawe has challenged the minister to name the people involved, insisting that no negotiations are taking place and that Besigye has not authorized anybody to negotiate his freedom.
Speaking to Mulengera News on phone, Wednesday, Turinawe questioned Mao’s claim that he was deeply involved in the reported talks, demanding to know who was meeting whom and on whose authority they were acting.
“Let him also tell you who they are talking to,” she said, putting Mao on the spot over the people supposedly involved in the negotiations.
Turinawe’s challenge comes after PFF members finally secured access to Besigye on Monday, following about three months in which, according to her, party members had been unable to visit him. The opposition leader’s health has been a major concern since he collapsed in court and was rushed to hospital.
She said seven PFF members were eventually allowed to see him, although authorities initially permitted only six before allowing another visitor. Turinawe declined to name the visitors, saying the party had already communicated what it considered necessary for public consumption.
“It is not necessary to name the visitors now. The party held a press conference yesterday and communicated what was for public consumption,” she said.
But the visitors were reportedly shocked by Besigye’s condition. Turinawe said he was in a very sorry state and could neither speak nor write, forcing them to rely on an alphabet chart through which he pointed to letters as they tried to understand what he wanted to communicate.
During the visit, Turinawe said, Besigye drew their attention to a copy of New Vision carrying a report about the alleged negotiations and asked her to read it aloud. After listening, he reportedly used the chart to communicate that he was not ready for negotiations over his freedom.
According to Turinawe, Besigye wants court bail so he can obtain medical treatment and later return to face the charges against him. She questioned why Mao was presenting negotiations as an ongoing process when Besigye had not authorized anyone to represent him in such discussions.
Mao described the reported talks as one of three parallel avenues being pursued, alongside court proceedings and medical treatment. He said the court process should continue and doctors should be allowed to do their work while the political engagements explore a broader path towards reconciliation.
But Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, has also dismissed the suggestion that his release is being negotiated. In a post on X, she stated: “There are no negotiations for Kizza Besigye’s release. His health and his rights are not matters for negotiations.” She added that her focus remained on his health, his right to bail and access to the best possible medical care.
Besigye is charged with treason alongside Hajji Obeid Lutale and UPDF Captain Denis Oola, all of whom deny the allegations. Their case is before the High Court in Kampala. Lukwago faces a separate charge of misprision of treason and has reportedly been taken to Mulago Hospital for a second time since his arrest.
Turinawe has also accused the government of struggling to sustain what the opposition describes as trumped-up charges against Besigye and his co-accused, suggesting that the reported talks could offer the authorities a political way out. The claim reflects the opposition’s position on the prosecutions, while the government has presented the initiative as an effort to pursue reconciliation.
With Turinawe insisting that no negotiations are underway and Byanyima publicly rejecting the idea, Mao now faces pressure to explain who exactly is involved in the reported process and whose authority they are acting under. If the talks are real, the minister must explain why Besigye’s own allies say they know nothing of an agreed negotiation over his freedom. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
