Winnie Byanyima, the wife of veteran Ugandan opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye, has revealed disturbing details about her husband’s continued detention in Luzira prison.
Byanyima disclosed that Dr. Besigye is being held in solitary confinement and is being denied any interaction with fellow inmates.
Dr. Besigye was arrested in Kenya in November last year, alongside his aide Hajji Obed Kamulegeya Lutale.
Since then, he has made several attempts to secure bail, but these efforts have reportedly faced repeated delays and procedural obstacles.
“Dr. Kizza Besigye isn’t allowed to mingle with fellow inmates. When he steps out, two guards accompany him to make sure he doesn’t speak to anyone,” Byanyima said.
She further disclosed that her husband is being held under harsh conditions.
His cell is reportedly dark and poorly lit, and he shares it with ten other inmates who have been on remand for over ten years on allegations of being members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group.
“Where Besigye is, he’s being detained with 10 inmates who have been on remand for over 10 years. These are said to be part of the rebel group ADF; however, they refuse the accusations,” she added.
Byanyima expressed deep concern over the denial of basic rights and poor prison conditions.
She said Besigye is being held in a filthy environment, infested with bedbugs, and that he had resorted to a hunger strike to protest his treatment.
“Besigye told me that he sleeps in a terrible situation with bedbugs feeding on him,” she said.
She confirmed that Besigye had recently undertaken a hunger strike, but his lawyers advised him to suspend it due to the health risks involved.
“Besigye did not steal, did not kill anyone, did not engage in any corruption crime, but his continued detention is politically motivated,” she said, adding that the entire process surrounding his arrest and incarceration has been unlawful and politically driven.
She passionately appealed to President Museveni to show compassion, emphasizing that Besigye is an elderly man who should not be subjected to such harsh conditions.
“We ask the president to have mercy on him because he’s a very aged man to live in such a condition,” she urged, calling for national dialogue.
Despite ongoing efforts by his legal team, family, and friends to secure his release, the Ugandan state has remained silent regarding the reasons for his continued incarceration.
