Winnie Byanyima accuses Museveni of detaining Besigye over succession concerns

KAMPALA, Uganda — Winnie Byanyima, the wife of jailed opposition leader Kizza Besigye, accused President Yoweri Museveni and his son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, of illegally detaining her husband to clear a path for a family succession.

Speaking to reporters at her home in Kasangati on Tuesday, Byanyima said Besigye is being targeted for his vocal opposition to a plan she claims will install Kainerugaba as Uganda’s next leader. She further alleged that her husband is under military guard at Luzira Prison and is suffering from a serious illness.

Byanyima, who serves as the executive director of UNAIDS, said the government has spent significant resources framing Besigye because he opposes an agenda to extend the current administration through the president’s son. She claimed the plan involves restructuring the military and amending the constitution to favor Kainerugaba’s eventual presidency.

The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces did not respond to the allegations. Farouk Kirunda, the deputy State House spokesperson, dismissed the claims and said the president has no role in the matter. Kirunda said Besigye was lawfully charged and that any grievances should be addressed through the court system.

Byanyima also raised concerns about Besigye’s health, stating he has been ill since mid-January. She said prison authorities initially denied him medical attention and only allowed him to visit a private clinic in Bugolobi late Monday night after pressure from his personal physician.

According to Byanyima, Besigye was severely dehydrated and running a high temperature when she saw him at the clinic. She said doctors recommended a follow-up, but officials told her further care would require high-level approval.

Frank Baine, a spokesperson for the Uganda Prisons Service, contradicted this account, describing the visit as a routine monthly checkup. He said Besigye was found to be in stable condition and returned to prison. Byanyima rejected the prison’s version of events, questioning why a routine checkup would occur late at night without notifying the family.

Besigye was arrested in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2024. He was later brought back to Uganda, where he was charged and remanded to Luzira Prison. Byanyima has called for the state to drop all charges and allow her husband to receive medical treatment at home.