Winnie Byanyima, the wife of Dr. Kizza Besigye, has expressed deep concern over the alarming health condition of her husband, who has been incarcerated for several days.
In an exclusive interview with NBS Television, Byanyima revealed that Besigye’s kidneys are showing signs of damage, with his overall health deteriorating rapidly as he continues his hunger strike to protest his prolonged detention without trial.
Dr. Kizza Besigye, a prominent opposition figure, has been on hunger strike for seven days as part of his protest against his continued imprisonment.
Byanyima’s statements come amid growing international pressure for his release, including a condemnation from the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who called for the immediate release of Dr. Besigye and other political prisoners in Uganda.
At the Besigye family home in Kasangati, Byanyima sat down to discuss the critical situation. She shared heartbreaking details about her husband’s health, revealing that Besigye is no longer able to walk and spends most of his time lying on a bed in his prison cell.
She also described a recent visit to the prison where she witnessed the deterioration in his physical condition.
“I went to see him yesterday, and I found him in the prison cell. He struggles to speak, and I am very concerned about his health. His doctor performed tests, and while most results were fine, his kidneys are beginning to show damage,” Byanyima said, visibly distressed.
Byanyima accused President Yoweri Museveni and the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of deliberately undermining Besigye’s health by continuing to hold him in detention under questionable legal circumstances.
“Why would you hold someone illegally whose health is deteriorating? President Museveni, I put it to you and your son, you are damaging and undermining the health of Besigye. You are killing him every day that you hold him in prison without any legal basis,” she added passionately.
President Museveni, in a recent statement, dismissed Besigye’s hunger strike as blackmail.
Byanyima sharply criticized the president’s remarks, calling them “callous” and “cruel,” emphasizing that Besigye’s hunger strike is his only remaining way to protest against the regime’s oppression.
“That is callous, cruel. It is violent, and it is a lie! Dr. Kizza Besigye can only protest with his body because he is a captive. He has opposed Museveni’s autocracy, and now he is in prison again. His body is the last tool he has to say no,” she stated.
Despite mounting pressure from the government, Byanyima reiterated that her husband has no fear of facing trial in a civilian court. She insisted that Besigye was framed and is innocent of any wrongdoing.
“He will never beg for reconciliation or mercy. He is not begging. He is saying that he is being illegally captured by Museveni and his son. He has not asked for mercy. He has not asked for forgiveness. Never. He is innocent,” Byanyima affirmed, unwavering in her support for her husband’s cause.
The international community, including human rights organizations, has continued to call for Besigye’s release and an end to his prolonged detention.
As calls for justice grow louder, the question remains whether President Museveni and the Ugandan government will heed these demands.