No one ever dies purely of natural causes, whether in our “primitive” African societies or in the “civilised” Western world.
In Uganda, if someone is struck and killed by lightning, public opinion will quickly assign blame to an opponent in a political, land, or personal dispute. In London, if a person is stabbed on the street, postmortem reports may conclude that multiple organ failure caused cardiac arrest—but in public perception, responsibility is often traced to human actions.
Today, if anything terrible were to happen to Dr Kizza Besigye—God forbid—most objective observers, both in Uganda and globally, would hold the NRM government and the opposition responsible.
This is a classic case of what law terms ‘joint enterprise.’ Someone can be held accountable for a crime committed by another if they helped, encouraged, foresaw, or failed to prevent it—even if they did not carry out the act themselves.
As his former international envoy and friend, I would hold both the NRM government and the opposition accountable if anything happens to him.
Why?
The NRM government has repeatedly and unreasonably refused to either try him or release him on bail. Meanwhile, opposition parties have cynically exploited his prolonged detention as political capital. The longer he remains in prison, the greater the gain for their campaigns.
Consider the recent spectacle at Dr Kizza Besigye’s Kisangati home just days before the 2026 general election. His wife, Dr Winnie Byanyima, publicly handed NUP party president Bobi Wine a large envelope of cash, claiming it had been directed by Dr Besigye. While the words, amount, and source remain unverified, the act raises fundamental questions about opposition consistency.
Are these not the same leaders who consistently condemn President Museveni for distributing money to his political supporters? Has Uganda now developed two rules—one for Museveni and another for the opposition?
Granted, the instructions attributed to Dr Besigye are yet to be verified. But if indeed he directed Winnie Byanyima to mobilise cash for a rival party, why would the PFF leader spend his prison years supporting another party? And why hold a press conference if the goal was not to maximise publicity and political gain from his suffering?
We have repeatedly called on PFF leaders to persuade Dr Besigye to apply for amnesty. This would not imply guilt, but it may be the only realistic route to his early release, considering his age and health.
Some PFF leaders have made clear on social media that they will not “beg” Museveni to release him. In effect, they are knowingly or unknowingly risking his life in prison. By law and custom, Museveni, as president, is constitutionally Uganda’s ultimate authority—but who bears responsibility if Dr Besigye dies? The NRM, for refusing to try or release him? The opposition, for exploiting his detention? Or both?
Should tragedy strike, government and opposition leaders will likely queue to eulogise him, as they did with his younger brother Joseph Masisi. NRM leaders would finally acknowledge him as a hero of the liberation struggle, while opposition figures would hail him as a symbol of democracy and human rights.
In my view, both parties would be complicit—Dr Besigye’s “killers,” by action or inaction.
I rest my case.
Sam Akaki is Dr Kizza Besigye’s former interlocutor with UK, EU, and North American governments
