Renowned Ugandan opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye is in alarming health conditions, having gone five days without food in what has been described as an inhumane and illegal detention.
This revelation follows a visit by his wife Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS and Besigye’s close ally, who found him in a dire state inside a heavily secured prison cell.
Byanyima, who detailed her visit in a statement, described the shocking conditions under which Besigye is being held.
She recounted passing through six or seven locked doors before reaching his cell, located in a dark, narrow corridor reportedly reserved for suspected terrorists.
Inside, Besigye lay on a small bed, the only piece of furniture in a room barely big enough to accommodate a pile of old newspapers and two cardboard boxes.
The suffocating confinement, compounded by severe isolation, paints a grim picture of his captivity.
More disturbingly, Byanyima reported that Besigye appeared physically weak, had lost an alarming amount of weight, and suffered from dizziness due to his prolonged hunger strike.
His condition, she warned, is deteriorating rapidly.
“This is not just illegal detention, it is kidnapping,” Byanyima stated, expressing outrage at the Ugandan government’s actions. She called for President Yoweri Museveni and his son, the army chief, to immediately release Besigye, emphasizing that he is a citizen entitled to rights and dignity.
The visit also unearthed further violations of Besigye’s privacy and dignity.
Byanyima revealed that Minister of Information, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, forced an encounter with Besigye, falsely claiming afterward that he had a conversation with him.
In reality, Besigye, in silent protest, refused to engage. His jailers, however, dismissed his complaints regarding the invasion of his privacy, further highlighting what Byanyima described as “staggering impunity and endless humiliation.”
In a move widely seen as an attempt to downplay Besigye’s suffering, Baryomunsi later declared that the opposition figure was in good health.
His statement, Byanyima argued, was nothing more than political propaganda aimed at justifying Besigye’s continued imprisonment under degrading conditions.
The latest reports on Besigye’s plight have reignited calls for justice, with his supporters demanding his unconditional release.
As concerns over his health intensify, the Ugandan government faces mounting pressure to end what many see as politically motivated persecution.
For now, Dr. Besigye remains behind bars, his health fading, as the fight for his freedom continues.
