In a dramatic press conference on Tuesday at Kasangati in Wakiso district, Engineer Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, painted a terrifying picture of her husband, opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye’s, condition, revealing that he is seriously ill while held in Luzira Prison. Byanyima accused the government of lying about his health and claimed Besigye was secretly taken to a private clinic for urgent medical treatment.
Byanyima said she only saw Besigye after a tense struggle with prison authorities. “I was not informed despite being his next of kin,” she said. “I found him extremely weak, shaking, unable to walk or stand without support. He had been ill since Saturday, suffering from acute stomach pain, high fever, and severe dehydration.”
She explained that prison rules normally allow visits only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, partly due to overcrowding. Families usually bring food for inmates, as prisons lack proper facilities to store supplies. But last week, she said, Luzira Prison was suddenly closed to visitors for a full week, allegedly because of elections, preventing her from checking on Besigye or bringing him supplies.
Byanyima recounted how Besigye initially refused treatment by prison authorities, insisting on being treated by his personal doctor. “It wasn’t until Dr. Nandi Kanyerezi, his personal physician, pleaded with prison authorities that he was secretly transferred to her clinic in Bugolobi late in the evening,” she said. “The prison did not notify me, even though I am his next of kin. I had to find out and rush there myself.”
At the clinic, doctors performed multiple tests and immediately began treatment. Besigye was put on a drip, given antibiotic, and rehydrated, but still could not pass urine. “He was severely dehydrated,” Byanyima said, “and the doctors recommended continued hydration and follow-up, but the prison authorities insisted on returning him to Luzira that night.”
Byanyima provided a dramatic account of the transfer, saying six prison warders physically escorted Besigye down stairs to a waiting pickup truck, while a mysterious woman in civilian clothing later identified as military intelligence, followed him. She photographed the woman as she tried to flee. “Dr. Besigye isn’t a normal prisoner,” Byanyima said. “He is a captive of Mr. Museveni and his son, guarded by military personnel, not prison warders. Luzira is just a front.”
She accused President Museveni of plotting to slowly kill Besigye in prison. “Why is it that he falls sick just when the prison is closed? Why are his personal doctors initially denied access?” she asked. Byanyima described this as part of a “sinister plan” to silence the opposition leader who has consistently opposed the government’s agenda.
Byanyima also condemned the conditions in which her husband is held, saying he is forced to sleep in hot, bedbug-infested cells, isolated from other prisoners, and denied basic dignity. “He will turn 70 this year. Why is he being treated like this?” she asked.
She linked Besigye’s persecution to a broader political agenda, accusing Preisident Museveni of trying to prepare his son to succeed him and consolidate a family dictatorship. “After the election, we expect attempts to hand him the party, control the military, and possibly change the constitution to entrench his power. This is why Besigye must be kept in prison, silenced, and discredited,” Byanyima said.
Despite the sensational claims, Uganda Prison Services denied any wrongdoing. Spokesperson Frank Mayanja Baine said Besigye’s hospital visit was routine. “He was escorted for a scheduled follow-up appointment with his doctor and later returned to Luzira Prison. His condition remains stable,” Baine said.
The People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), Besigye’s political party, echoed Byanyima’s concerns, accusing the government of denying him proper medical care and demanding that his family and personal doctors have unrestricted access. They warned that the government would be held fully accountable for his well-being.
Byanyima concluded her press conference with a direct message to President Museveni: “Enough is enough. Stop holding my husband as your captive. Stop opposing his bail application. Stop framing him with false charges. This is criminal, inhumane, and unjust.”
She praised the lawyers representing Besigye for exposing the alleged persecution and warned that the truth about the opposition leader’s treatment would not remain hidden. “Besigye has never run away. He has never harmed anyone. He is innocent and must be released immediately,” she said.
Dr Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate and veteran opposition leader has been in Luzira for a full year and some few months following his arrest in Nairobi, Kenya on 16th November 2024 where he and his ally Hajji Obeid Lutaale had gone to attend an event organized by Kenya’s Martha Karua. The duo until today remain incarcerated in Luzira Prion after facing trail at the General Court Martial and charged with unlawful possession of firearms and treason.
