“I Won’t Beg You” – Besigye Tells Museveni, Rejects His Statehouse Talks as Treason Row Deepens

Veteran opposition politician Col Dr. Kizza Besigye has firmly rejected overtures from President Yoweri Museveni to hold private talks at State House—a move aimed at securing his release from Luzira prison where he is being held on treason charges.According to credible sources, efforts spearheaded by Bishop Onesimus Asiimwe, Lt Gen (Rtd) Henry Tumukunde, and several elders from Rukungiri have repeatedly hit a dead end.

The delegation has reportedly visited Besigye multiple times, encouraging him to meet the President, acknowledge his "mistakes," and seek pardon. However, Besigye has stood his ground, telling emissaries, “I am innocent. I have nothing to plead for.”

The resistance from the four-time presidential candidate has caused ripples across the political establishment.

According to insiders, State House remains open to reconciliation, but only if Besigye "swallows his pride" and apologizes directly to the President.

“Museveni is ready to forgive him,” a State House source revealed, “but only if he kneels down and asks for forgiveness.”

Meanwhile, Lt Gen Tumukunde—once Museveni’s ally-turned-rival—has issued a stern warning. He reportedly told the President that failure to release Besigye ahead of the 2026 elections could cost the ruling NRM party dearly in Rukungiri District, Besigye’s political stronghold.

“If Besigye is not released, forget Rukungiri,” Tumukunde is quoted to have said.

Behind the scenes, Museveni is reportedly unsettled by fresh security intelligence linking Besigye to an alleged plot with shadowy “government mafias” to assassinate him, mirroring the fate of Rwanda’s late President Juvénal Habyarimana and Sudanese rebel leader John Garang.

The threat has prompted heightened security around the President, including discontinuing the use of army helicopters and changing travel routes to avoid potential ambushes.

As the country inches closer to the 2026 general elections, the Besigye saga threatens to reopen old wounds and deepen cracks within the political elite.

Whether Museveni chooses to pardon his longtime rival—or further isolate him—remains a key question in the unfolding political drama