Besigye has contested four elections against President Yoweri Museveni. He has always disputed the results, citing fraud and voter intimidation. Authorities have arrested him many times over the years. Byanyima urged the Ugandan government to release him. She also urged the Ugandan government to release her husband, Dr. Kizza Besigye, from his detention
Ugandan police denied holding Besigye. Attempts to contact Uganda’s military also failed.
In July, Kenyan authorities deported 36 members of Besigye’s party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). Ugandan officials charged them with terrorism-related offenses. Besigye, once Museveni’s doctor during a guerrilla war, later became his fierce critic.
Byanyima, now UNAIDS executive director, expressed concern.She stated that reliable sources informed her he is in a military jail in Kampala. “He is also not a soldier. Why is he in a military jail? We demand access to him.”
Museveni’s government also faces accusations of human rights abuses. These include illegal detentions, torture, and extrajudicial killings targeting opposition figures. Officials also deny the allegations. They insist all arrests follow legal procedures and suspects face due process.
