KAMPALA, UGANDA – The spouses of two of Uganda’s most prominent opposition figures have issued urgent appeals for their husbands’ safety amid escalating political tensions.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The pleas follow alarming separate incidents, one involving four-time presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye, reportedly hospitalized in critical condition after a severe deterioration in his health while detained.
Winnie Byanyima, wife of veteran opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye, is accusing prison authorities of denying him adequate medical care and contradicting official statements on his wellbeing.
Via her social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Winnie Byanyima, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, revealed that her husband, detained for over a year on what she calls “trumped-up charges,” is “seriously ill.”
She stated that after being denied timely and adequate medical care in prison, Besigye’s condition worsened critically, necessitating an emergency transfer to his personal doctor’s clinic.
She challenged prison authorities, singling out spokesperson Frank Baine, who had previously refuted claims of Besigye’s critical illness, asserting the opposition leader was receiving “standard medical” care and was not ill.
Concurrently, Barbie Kyagulanyi detailed a military siege on her home, where soldiers allegedly cut power and surveillance, asserting the act was motivated by the government’s fear of public backlash.
Barbie Kyagulanyi reported a dramatic military incursion at her family home, stating that soldiers scaled the fence, cut off CCTV cameras and electricity, and besieged the compound.
She linked the military action to recent political tensions, asserting that the government operates from fear of public backlash.
She framed the authorities’ conduct as a symptom of profound insecurity, arguing that the alleged electoral theft has created a regime that rules through brutality precisely because it fears the legitimate anger of the people.
Barbie Kyagulanyi’s husband, Bobi Wine, the National Unity Platform leader who contested the presidency in 2021, is reportedly in hiding amid threats of arrest.
Both Besigye and Bobi Wine have been foremost political challenges to President Museveni’s nearly four-decade rule, participating in multiple elections they and independent observers allege were marred by severe irregularities and state violence.
Dr. Besigye has been the main opposition candidate in elections in 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016, facing arrest and alleged torture consistently.
Bobi Wine, representing a newer generation of opposition, rose to prominence in the 2021 poll, which was preceded by a deadly crackdown on his campaign.
The parallel emergencies affecting both leaders, one a veteran figure in medical crisis, the other a younger force facing a military siege at his home, highlight the broad and relentless pressure applied on dissent in Uganda.
The pleas from their spouses have shifted focus to the personal safety of the opposition leaders, raising international concern about their treatment under a government they have sought to challenge democratically.
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