The Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) has dismissed claims that veteran opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye is in a critical health condition, countering assertions made by his wife, Winnie Byanyima, that his life is deteriorating behind bars.
The prisons spokesperson, Mr Frank Mayanja Baine, said Besigye, a retired colonel and four-time presidential candidate, is medically stable and not facing any immediate health danger.
Baine explained that Besigye was taken out of custody earlier this week for a routine medical review by his personal doctor and was later returned to prison after the assessment found no cause for alarm.
“What is true is that we took Besigye for the routine medical check-up upon request of his personal doctor on Monday evening, and after that, we took him back. The report we have is that he is not in any danger as far as his health is concerned,” Baine said.
However, Byanyima has strongly disputed the prisons’ account, insisting that her husband’s health has been declining and that prison authorities have failed to be transparent with her as his next of kin.
Addressing journalists at their Kasangati-based residence yesterday, Byanyima said she became alarmed during a visit on January 15 when she took food to Besigye and noticed what she described as visible deterioration in his condition.
She accused prison authorities of keeping Besigye’s health situation secret and of initially denying him access to his personal doctor, a move she believes worsened his condition. According to Byanyima, Besigye has since been allowed to consult his personal physician at a private clinic, following sustained pressure.
Byanyima further argued that the refusal to allow consistent treatment by his personal doctor had negatively affected Besigye’s wellbeing, calling for greater consideration of his medical needs while in custody.
Besigye is currently facing treason and misprision of treason charges alongside Obeid Lutale and Capt. Denis Oola. Capt. Oola is a serving Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer attached to the armoured brigade. The trio’s case is before the High Court in Kampala.
Besigye and Lutale were arrested in November 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, and later transferred to Uganda to face the charges. The case has attracted significant public and political attention, with supporters and rights activists closely monitoring Besigye’s health and detention conditions.
As the legal process continues, the contrasting accounts from prison authorities and Besigye’s family are likely to intensify scrutiny on the management of high-profile detainees and the balance between custodial procedures and prisoners’ medical rights.
