The People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) has issued a scathing statement accusing the government of deliberate medical neglect and political persecution following reports of the deteriorating health of its leader, veteran opposition figure and four-time presidental candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye, who remains in state custody.
In a statement issued on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the party expressed what it described as “profound outrage” over Besigye’s condition and sharply criticized remarks made by Minister for Information and Communications Technology and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, dismissing claims that the opposition leader is critically ill.
“It is a breach of medical ethics and humanity when a fellow medical professional chooses to use his platform to lie and trivialize a life-threatening situation. As a doctor, he should be the primary custodian of the sanctity of life. Instead, he has chosen to become a mouthpiece for state-sponsored propaganda,” the statement read.
The party further stated categorically that Besigye is seriously ill and requires urgent, specialized medical care, warning that continued detention and court appearances amount to “a deliberate attempt to break his spirit through physical exhaustion and judicial harassment.”
The PFF further accused the state of weaponizing the prison system and the courts, arguing that the law “is not a tool for torture,” and cited the Human Rights Enforcement Act, which guarantees suspects access to appropriate medical care.
“If the regime believes that physical frailty or prison walls will silence the demand for change, they have failed to learn from history,” the statement added.
In a press briefing yesterday, Baryomunsi rejected the allegations, insisting that Besigye is not critically ill and has access to adequate medical treatment at Luzira Prison. He argued that the detained opposition leader had suffered from what he described as a “minor diarrhoea illness,” which was promptly treated by prison medical staff.
“It is not true that he is seriously sick or that he is unable to access his personal doctors. I have spoken to prison authorities and personally spoken to his doctors, who include his own biological siblings,” he said.
Baryomunsi added that Besigye continues to receive visits from listed next of kin and denied claims that the opposition figure is being held in degrading conditions, stating that his accommodation is self-contained and includes access to a television.
While acknowledging public concern, the minister urged both the state and Besigye’s legal team to expedite court proceedings in the interest of a fair and timely trial.
Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, strongly disputed the minister’s claims, accusing him of misrepresentation and dishonesty.
In a series of posts on X, Byanyima said she is officially registered at Luzira Prison as Besigye’s next of kin, directly contradicting Baryomunsi’s assertion that she is not listed.
“Minister Baryomunsi is a shameful liar, casually misrepresenting a prisoner who cannot speak for himself. I challenge the Uganda Prison Service to publicly deny this fact,” she wrote.
Byanyima further accused authorities of attempting to divide Besigye’s family and manufacture confusion to distract from what she described as state-led persecution.
“This crude attempt to divide our family is despicable, dishonest, and beneath public office,” she added.
The PFF has, over the past week and a half, raised alarm over Besigye’s health, saying he is critically ill and being denied unrestricted access to his personal doctors. The party claims that continued demands for his court appearances despite his weakened condition amount to a “cruel and calculated move.”
According to the party, Besigye was urgently transferred last Monday from Luzira Prison to a medical facility at Bugolobi Village Mall under heavy security deployment.
Addressing journalists at her residence in Kasangati, Wakiso District, last week Byanyima alleged that prison authorities failed to inform her when her husband was rushed for medical attention and claimed he is being guarded by high-ranking security and intelligence officers.
She accused President Yoweri Museveni of using state power, the military, and the justice system to silence Besigye, whom she described as a central obstacle to what she called a long-term plan to extend Museveni’s rule through his son.
Byanyima warned that Uganda is entering a dangerous phase marked by abductions, torture, enforced disappearances, and the criminalization of opposition leaders.
Besigye, a former personal physician to President Museveni and one of his longest-serving political challengers, has unsuccessfully contested the presidency four times. He has been in detention for over a year without trial following his arrest in Nairobi in November 2024, facing treason-related charges.
At his most recent appearance before the Kampala High Court on December 30, 2025, Besigye and his co-accused — Obed Lutale and Capt. Denis Oola — entered not-guilty pleas by court order after declining to plead.
The case was adjourned to January 21, 2026, for scheduling, however the Uganda Prisons Service. failed to produce Besigye and his co-accused, Hajj Obeid Lutale, before the High Court. The case was further adjourned for three weeks to allow the accused's health to stabilize.
Last year, Besigye was also reported to be critically ill after staging a hunger strike demanding justice, claims the government dismissed at the time, insisting prison facilities were capable of providing adequate medical care.
