Byanyima Says Besigye’s Life in Danger, Ready to Engage Govt for His Release

Winnie Byanyima speaking to reporters at her home in Kasangati on Saturday.

The Executive Director of UNAIDS and wife to jailed veteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye, Winnie Byanyima, has warned that her husband’s life is in danger as his health continues to deteriorate in detention.

Besigye and his political ally Hajj Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya have been on remand since November 2024, following their arrest in Nairobi, Kenya. The two are facing treason charges before Ugandan courts.

Since their incarceration, concerns have continued to mount over Besigye’s health, with repeated calls from political leaders, religious figures, and human rights organisations urging the government to release him on medical grounds.

Speaking to journalists at her home in Kasangati on Saturday, Byanyima said she is prepared to engage the government in dialogue to secure her husband’s release.

“The state of Dr Kizza Besigye is worrying. I visited him twice last week and found him frail. At times he loses speech,” Byanyima said. “That is why sometimes visitors do not see him—he is unable to walk or speak.”

She further alleged that Besigye is being held in solitary confinement, restricted from interacting with other inmates, and barred from participating in communal activities such as church services and recreational games.

Byanyima said the prolonged isolation has worsened his condition, describing it as both physically and psychologically harmful.

Besigye’s legal team, led by former Kenyan Justice Minister Martha Karua and Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, has on several occasions applied for bail, but all applications have so far been dismissed by court.

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Byanyima also announced that special prayers have been organised in collaboration with religious leaders, seeking what she termed “divine intervention” for Besigye’s freedom.

Government authorities have previously maintained that Besigye is receiving appropriate medical care while in custody and that due legal process must be followed.