Winnie Byanyima Not on Besigye’s Luzira Next-of-Kin List, Says Baryomunsi

In a statement that has ignited fresh debate amid Uganda’s ongoing political tensions, Information, Communications, and Technology (ICT) Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi has claimed that Winnie Byanyima, wife of imprisoned opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, is not included on the official list of next-of-kin allowed to bring food or maintain regular contact with him at Luzira Maximum Security Prison.

This revelation comes as Besigye, a veteran critic of President Yoweri Museveni’s long-standing rule, remains detained following his arrest last year, with his health and treatment becoming a flashpoint for opposition supporters and human rights advocates.

Baryomunsi, addressing the media earlier today, emphasized that Besigye himself provided a list of three next-of-kin upon his incarceration, and Byanyima’s name was notably absent.

“When he was taken into Luzira, he provided a list of the next of kin ,those who are contacted in case he wants to get in touch with members of his family,” Baryomunsi explained.

“The three names that were given do not include his wife, and maybe that’s why sometimes she complains, but it doesn’t matter to us.” He added that these individuals, including doctors, are the ones permitted to bring food and attend to Besigye, countering allegations of neglect. 

The minister dismissed recent claims by Byanyima that Besigye is gravely ill and being denied proper medical care, describing them as inaccurate.

He recounted a personal visit to Besigye’s cell last year, noting that the opposition figure has access to a self-contained room with television and is receiving adequate attention.

“It is not true that he was confined in a manner that would undermine his integrity as a prisoner. I have been there myself,” Baryomunsi stated, urging for a speedy trial rather than politicizing the detention. 

Similar sentiments echoed in earlier reports, where Baryomunsi downplayed Besigye’s health issues as minor, such as abdominal discomfort treated by his personal doctor.  

However, Byanyima, the Executive Director of UNAIDS and a prominent figure in her own right, painted a starkly different picture in a detailed statement shared on X just yesterday.

She described Besigye as “extremely weak,” unable to walk unaided after a recent visit, and confined to a “hot, dark, bedbug-infested cell.” Byanyima reported that in eight hours, Besigye had only consumed a small piece of yam and half an avocado, labeling his treatment as “punishment” rather than care.

“Dr. Kizza Besigye is being deliberately denied the medical care he trusts and requires,” she asserted, demanding his immediate release on bail and access to proper treatment outside prison walls.

She held President Museveni and his son, the army commander, directly accountable for the situation.