Concerns are mounting over the health of Kizza Besigye, the veteran Ugandan opposition leader, who is currently being held in a military detention facility. His wife, Winnie Byanyima (Executive Director of UNAIDS), issued an urgent appeal today, Thursday, 22 January 2026, stating that her husband is “gravely ill” and that his condition is “deeply worrying.”
Besigye was reportedly abducted from Nairobi, Kenya, in late 2024 and extradited to Uganda, where he has been facing charges in a military court, a move that has drawn international condemnation.
According to Byanyima, who was recently granted a brief and highly monitored visit, Besigye is suffering from, severe physical weakness, and is reportedly unable to stand for long periods.
Noting a lack of specialized care, the family alleges that he is being denied access to his private doctors and is receiving only basic “prison-grade” medication. Coupled with the psychological toll of solitary confinement is said to be exacerbating his physical symptoms.
The detention of Besigye has become a flashpoint for East African diplomacy. The fact that he was seized in Kenya has led to a diplomatic “cold war” between Kampala and Nairobi over sovereignty and the protection of political exiles.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have demanded his transfer to a civil court, arguing that a civilian should not be tried by a military tribunal.
Many analysts also believe the crackdown on Besigye is linked to the Museveni administration’s effort to clear the political field before the next electoral cycle.
Winnie Byanyima’s Appeal
“My husband is not a soldier; he is a citizen and a leader. To hold a sick man in a military dungeon without proper care is not just illegal, it is inhumane. We are calling on the world to look at Uganda today. He needs a hospital, not a cell.”
