Winnie Byanyima, the wife of jailed opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye and Executive Director of the UN’s HIV/AIDS programme, has expressed outrage over her husband’s deteriorating health and inhumane detention conditions at Luzira Prison.
Byanyima, who visited Besigye on Monday, February 17, described his prison cell as cramped and isolated, with only a small bed occupying the entire length of the room. Next to his bed lay a pile of old newspapers and two worn-out cardboard boxes, leaving space for just one stool.
To reach his room, she had to pass through six or seven locked doors along a dark and narrow corridor, which she was told houses inmates suspected of terrorism.
“It was very painful to find Besigye in such humiliating circumstances,” she said.
Byanyima revealed that Besigye is physically weak, has lost an alarming amount of weight, and is suffering from dizziness due to going without food for five days. She condemned his continued detention, calling it an act of abduction rather than lawful imprisonment.
“This is not just illegal detention, it is kidnapping. I am outraged and demand that President Museveni and his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the army chief, release him immediately. He is a citizen with rights—just like them!” she stated.
Byanyima also criticized Minister of ICT and National Guidance Chris Baryomunsi’s visit to Besigye, revealing that the opposition leader never consented to the meeting. Instead, a prison officer forced him into the room with Baryomunsi, who allegedly attempted to engage him in conversation.
“Besigye remained completely silent in protest. Baryomunsi ranted, heard not a single word in response, and left,” she recounted.
Despite Besigye’s complaints about the intrusion on his privacy, prison authorities reportedly dismissed his concerns. Byanyima slammed what she termed as “staggering impunity” and an “endless cycle of humiliation.”
She further denounced Baryomunsi’s public claims that Besigye was in good health, accusing him of being a propaganda tool for the government.
“After forcing his way into his room, Baryomunsi declared him ‘well’—acting as nothing more than a PR officer for President Museveni and his son’s sinister kidnap scheme,” she said, adding that the minister is “well-paid for this disgraceful role.”
Byanyima’s revelations have intensified calls for Besigye’s immediate release, with human rights activists and opposition figures condemning what they describe as political persecution.
