Winnie Byanyima, the Executive Director of UNAIDS and wife of jailed opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye, has said her husband is conscious but remains extremely weak and unable to speak after collapsing during a court hearing on Thursday, 30 July.
Speaking to journalists on Monday after visiting Besigye at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Byanyima said he spent most of the time asleep and only briefly opened his eyes. She added that he was still unable to speak or write because he was too weak.
“He looks very weak. He remained asleep for a long time. When he could open his eyes, he still cannot talk. He is not able to write. I tried to ask him to write a note to me, but his hands are not stable,” Byanyima said.
She revealed that Besigye had been receiving nutrition through intravenous fluids but had shown slight improvement on Monday after the tubes were removed and he managed to take some soup.
Byanyima described the development as encouraging but stressed that he remains in a fragile condition. She urged the authorities to protect his right to life, ensure he receives proper medical care and guarantee him a fair trial, saying his constitutional rights should be respected like those of any other Ugandan.
Besigye, a veteran opposition leader, has been in detention since late 2024 after he was abducted in Kenya and returned to Uganda. He is facing terrorism-related charges.
