Winnie Byanyima, the wife of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, has appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to release her husband to allow him to travel to Geneva for medical treatment.
In a statement on August 28, Byanyima said Besigye was transferred from Luzira Prison to Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) Hospital after dark and remained in poor health, struggling to walk, speak, write or hold objects steadily.
She urged authorities to allow him to receive medical care surrounded by his family, questioning why he was being moved between facilities while unwell.
“I am asking for one thing – let me bring him home to Geneva for proper medical care, surrounded by his family.”
“After dark, Dr Kizza Besigye was moved from Luzira Prison to JCRC hospital today. He is still very weak. He struggles to walk, speak, write, or even hold anything steadily,” read part of the statement.
Byanyima said Besigye had been arrested more than 50 times and faced multiple cases but had never fled from justice.
She questioned the decision to continue with his trial while he was too ill to defend himself, saying he needed care rather than cruelty.
Kizza Besigye’s Wife Wants Him Taken to Geneva for Treatment
On August 24, Byanyima accused Ugandan authorities of putting her husband’s health at risk by returning him to Luzira Prison despite his weakened condition.
She said Besigye remained extremely weak and required care and support from his family, warning that prison conditions could hinder his recovery.
Her latest concerns followed Besigye’s admission to an intensive care unit in Kampala in early July after he collapsed and lost consciousness during his treason trial.
Byanyima also said Besigye’s sisters, who had been caring for him at the prison hospital, were sent away after he was returned to his cell, leaving him without family support.
She criticized the decision to proceed with his trial despite his medical condition and expressed concern that he could be taken to court while still unwell.
“I am hurt, angry and anxious. Kizza Besigye has been returned to his prison cell, and his sisters who have been caring for him at the prison hospital have been sent away. He is still extremely weak and needs family care. Prison conditions will undermine his recovery. Yet Judge Baguma has brushed aside his medical condition and carried on with this sham trial. They may even carry him to court tomorrow,” she said.
Publicly Reported Health Crisis Incidents
Since Kizza Besigye’s abduction from Nairobi in November 2024, his health has deteriorated on four separate occasions that have been publicly reported during his detention.
The first was in February 2025, when complications linked to a prolonged hunger strike led to his hospitalization.
In January 2026, he suffered another serious health crisis, with his wife Winnie Byanyima reporting severe dehydration, acute stomach pain, rising infection levels, and intense leg pain.
His condition deteriorated again in July 2026 when he collapsed and lost consciousness during a treason trial hearing in Kampala, prompting his transfer to hospital and admission to an intensive care unit.
In August, his wife indicated that he had become extremely weak and was struggling to walk, stand, speak clearly or hold objects, leading to another hospital transfer.
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