In a deeply emotional video that has sent shockwaves through Uganda’s political circles, Winnie Byanyima, a respected diplomat and the Executive Director of UNAIDS, has broken her silence.
She is pleading with President Yoweri Museveni to immediately release her husband, opposition leader Kizza Besigye, from Luzira Maximum Security Prison. Besigye, 68, has been held without trial for more than 180 days.
Byanyima called this continued detention unconstitutional, unjust, and politically motivated.
Her plea comes after yet another denial of bail, despite Uganda’s legal requirement to grant mandatory bail after six months of imprisonment without trial.
Winnie Byanyima calls continued detention a political punishment
Winnie Byanyima’s voice trembled with frustration and pain in her public appeal. She said the government was using the judicial system to punish her husband for political dissent.
“I’m disappointed. My husband, Dr. Kizza Besigye, and his friend Hajj Obeid Lutaale, have been denied bail again,” she stated. “They’ve been in prison for over 180 days. The government keeps changing the charge sheet and has failed to start the trial.”
Byanyima insisted that this is not about privilege but basic fairness. She called on President Museveni to respect Uganda’s Constitution, which mandates that a suspect held for more than 180 days without trial be granted bail.
Besigye and Lutaale have been in detention since November 2024. They face treason charges, but the government has yet to present solid evidence or begin court proceedings. Meanwhile, state prosecutors have amended the charge sheet multiple times, a move critics say is aimed at dragging out the case and keeping the opposition quiet.
“They should not be in prison,” Byanyima said. “They are political dissidents. They should be free to express their views peacefully.”
Winnie Byanyima speaks as both a wife and a leader
Byanyima, a seasoned international leader, made it clear that her appeal was not just personal. Speaking both as Besigye’s wife and as a global human rights advocate, she described the treatment of her husband and his co-accused as persecution.
“This is not justice,” she said. “This is punishment for opposing the government.”
She reminded the nation that Uganda’s Constitution guarantees rights for all citizens, including political opponents. Byanyima warned that denying Besigye’s bail sets a dangerous precedent that undermines the rule of law.
In her video, Byanyima directly addressed Museveni, whom she once knew personally from the bush war era: “Mr. President, I ask for justice. Nothing else. Not privilege. Just fairness.”
She also asked Museveni to consider the other political prisoners who have been locked up for months without trials. “Their only crime,” she said, “is that they disagree with you.”
Museveni insists legal process must continue
Despite public pressure, President Museveni has shown no signs of yielding. He dismissed Byanyima’s plea and accused Besigye of using a hunger strike to “blackmail” the state.
“Unprincipled blackmail,” Museveni called it. He argued that Besigye should be pursuing a speedy trial, not starving himself for sympathy.
Museveni insisted that Besigye’s legal case must run its course and that he should face the charges head-on in court. He also noted that the government is willing to provide medical attention if Besigye’s condition worsens.
But critics say the government’s refusal to grant bail has little to do with justice and everything to do with silencing political opposition. They point to a pattern of crackdowns, delayed court proceedings, and the strategic use of detention to keep dissenters out of the public eye.
Besigye has long been one of Museveni’s fiercest rivals, having run against him multiple times in contested presidential elections. His political activism has landed him in jail numerous times over the years. But this latest detention, without trial for over six months, marks a new low in Uganda’s democratic decline.
A message that resonates beyond Uganda
Winnie Byanyima’s emotional appeal has struck a chord not just in Uganda, but around the world. Human rights groups have called for Besigye’s immediate release. Lawyers, activists, and opposition figures have echoed her call, saying this case represents a wider assault on political freedom in the country.
Byanyima’s credibility as a global leader adds weight to her words. As head of UNAIDS, she has led international efforts for justice, equality, and human dignity. Now, she’s calling on her own country to live up to those same principles.
“This is not about my husband only,” she said. “It’s about the kind of Uganda we want. A Uganda where justice applies to all.”
Her voice may be soft, but the message is loud: Uganda must uphold its laws, respect its citizens’ rights, and stop jailing those who dare to think differently.
