Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye remains in detention under dire conditions, sparking outrage from his wife, Winnie Byanyima.

She has accused President Yoweri Museveni and his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, of orchestrating Besigye’s detention, describing it as a kidnapping rather than a lawful arrest.

Byanyima, the UNAIDS Executive Director, revealed that Besigye has been on a five-day hunger strike, growing weak and dizzy. She demanded his immediate release, emphasizing that he is a citizen with rights.

After visiting him in a maximum-security prison in Kampala, Byanyima described the grim conditions: a cramped cell, surrounded by multiple locked doors, located in an area reportedly meant for terror suspects. She condemned the inhumane treatment, calling it humiliating and unjust.

She also refuted claims by Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi, who allegedly visited Besigye and declared him ‘well.’ According to Byanyima, Besigye never consented to the meeting and remained silent in protest.

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Besigye, a long-time political rival of Museveni, was reportedly abducted in Kenya and forcefully returned to Uganda before being charged in a military court for alleged illegal weapons possession.

His arrest has sparked protests, with authorities detaining several opposition leaders, including Deputy Lord Mayor Nyanjura Doreen, Ingrid Turinawe, and National Unity Platform (NUP) officials Fred Nyanzi and Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro.

The opposition, led by NUP leader Bobi Wine, has issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding Besigye’s release.