Kizza Besigye’s wife urges his release for treatment

Winnie Byanyima, the wife of jailed Ugandan opposition politician Kizza Besigye, urged authorities on Saturday to release him on bail so he can receive medical treatment.

Besigye, 70, is in custody facing treason charges over an alleged plot against President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986. Byanyima, the executive director of UNAIDS, said Besigye had recently been admitted to intensive care after collapsing but was sent back to prison earlier this month against medical advice.

“Allow me to take him to our home in Geneva so that we, his family, can care for him,” Byanyima told reporters at her home near Kampala. She said Besigye would return to Uganda to face the case after recovering.

Byanyima accused the Ugandan state of targeting people who challenge Museveni. She cited opposition figure Bobi Wine, who unsuccessfully ran for president earlier this year and is now in exile.

Besigye, a former personal physician to Museveni, joined the opposition more than 25 years ago. He was abducted in Kenya in 2024 and reappeared in Uganda, where he was brought before a military tribunal before the case was transferred to a civilian court.

Byanyima said she believes Besigye is innocent and that a fair, independent court would clear him. Uganda has faced criticism from international observers over rights erosion, including after Museveni’s landslide election victory earlier this year in polls widely criticised.