Winnie Byanyima
Winnie Byanyima, the wife of detained Ugandan opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye, has raised fresh concerns about his health after he was returned to Luzira Prison following treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Byanyima said Besigye remained extremely weak and needed continued family care, warning that returning him to prison could compromise his recovery.
Her remarks come as questions persist over whether the opposition figure is medically fit to continue participating in his treason trial.
“I am hurt, angry and anxious. Kizza Besigye has been returned to his prison cell, and his sisters who have been caring for him at the prison hospital have been sent away,” Byanyima said.
She said the decision had left her concerned about Besigye’s ability to recover while in custody, arguing that his medical condition should be given priority before court proceedings continue.
“He is still extremely weak and needs family care. Prison conditions will undermine his recovery. Yet Judge Baguma has brushed aside his medical condition and carried on with this sham trial. They may even carry him to court tomorrow,” she added.
Besigye collapsed during a court session in Kampala in late July and was rushed to Mulago Hospital for treatment. He spent days receiving medical attention before being discharged and returned to the custody of Uganda Prisons.
The incident prompted the court to seek medical information on Besigye’s condition as questions emerged over whether he was fit to participate in the proceedings.
Byanyima, however, said the priority should now be ensuring that her husband receives appropriate medical treatment rather than returning him to prison.
“My concern is Kizza Besigye’s health and life. I demand that his right to health be respected. Let me bring him home to Geneva for proper medical care. When he recovers, he will return and defend himself in court,” she said.
She also raised concerns about the conditions in which Besigye was being held, saying his physical state required an environment that would support his recovery.
“Returning a very weak man to an airless, dark, bedbug-infested cell and denying him family care is cruel and a violation of his human rights,” Byanyima said.
Her statement also referenced remarks previously attributed to Uganda's Chief of Defence Forces, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, regarding Besigye's possible death in custody.
“After Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s public threat that Kizza Besigye would leave prison in a coffin, I cannot remain silent. Are they trying to make that threat a reality?” she asked.
Byanyima’s comments are likely to intensify scrutiny of Besigye’s detention and ongoing court proceedings, particularly from human rights groups and opposition supporters in Uganda and beyond.
Besigye, a veteran opposition politician and former presidential candidate, has rejected the charges against him, while his supporters have repeatedly described his prosecution as politically motivated.