Former presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye has gone five days without food, his wife Winnie Byanyima has revealed.
Besigye, who is currently on remand at Luzira Prison, was reportedly wheeled to a clinic at Village Mall in Bugolobi last Sunday after his condition worsened due to a hunger strike.
“I visited Kizza Besigye in his prison cell today. He was lying on a small bed that occupies the entire length of the room. A pile of old newspapers and two worn-out cardboard boxes next to his bed left space for only one stool,” Byanyima said.
She described the prison conditions as harsh and dehumanizing, stating that she had to pass through six or seven locked doors to reach Besigye’s cell, located along a dark and narrow corridor.
“Someone told me that this section is meant for suspected terrorists. It was painful to see Besigye in such humiliating circumstances. He is weak, has lost an alarming amount of weight, and is dizzy—he hasn’t eaten in five days. This is not just illegal detention; it is kidnapping. I am outraged and demand that President Yoweri Museveni and his son, the army chief, release him immediately. He is a citizen with rights just like them,” she stated.
Byanyima also criticized a recent visit by Minister Chris Baryomunsi, saying Besigye neither invited nor consented to the meeting.
“A prison officer forced him into the room. Baryomunsi lied about having a conversation—Besigye remained completely silent in protest. Baryomunsi ranted, heard not a single word in response, and left. When Besigye later complained to his jailers about this invasion of privacy, they simply shrugged it off. The impunity is staggering. The humiliation is endless. No one should be subjected to this,” she added.
Dr. Besigye and his co-accused, Hajj Obedi Kamulegeya, are facing multiple charges, including possession of firearms at Riverside Apartments in Nairobi, Kenya, and allegedly holding meetings in Greece and Switzerland to undermine the security of the Ugandan army.
The two were reportedly abducted in Nairobi last month, where they had attended a book launch hosted by Kenyan opposition politician and lawyer Martha Karua. Karua is currently in Uganda, leading a team of 50 lawyers in their defense.
Initially appearing before the General Court Martial, their case files are now awaiting transfer to civil courts following a landmark Supreme Court ruling that reclassified the court martial as a disciplinary committee of the army.
