On November 16, 2025, Winnie Byanyima marked a somber anniversary: one full year since her husband, Dr. Kizza Besigye, the Ugandan opposition leader, was abducted in Nairobi and transported to a prison cell in Uganda. The day was not just a private milestone for their family, but a public reckoning for Uganda’s justice system and political climate. Byanyima’s impassioned plea for Besigye’s immediate release has reignited national and international debate over the state of democracy and human rights in Uganda—a debate that is only intensifying as the country approaches its 2026 general election.
According to Reuters and People Daily, Besigye’s ordeal began in Nairobi, Kenya, where he had traveled to attend a private event—a book launch for Senior Counsel Martha Karua. Instead, he was abducted under murky circumstances, reportedly by men posing as Kenyan security officers, and resurfaced days later before the Makindye General Court Martial in Kampala. Despite being a civilian, he was charged with possessing an illegal firearm and treachery, and remanded to Luzira Maximum Security Prison. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Byanyima, speaking from her home in Kasangati, described her husband’s detention as “an endless injustice,” citing military detention, illegal confinement, and repeated denial of bail as evidence of a justice system that has been, in her words, “captured.” In a series of posts on X, she wrote, “It is now one year since my spouse, Dr. Kizza Besigye, was abducted from Nairobi and taken to prison in Uganda. A year later, the case against him has not moved in court. Endless injustice: military detention, illegal confinement, denial of bail. A justice system captured.”
Besigye’s supporters, including Byanyima, insist that the charges are politically motivated—a tactic to neutralize a prominent critic of President Yoweri Museveni. “Because he has different views. Because he has dared to compete for the presidency. Because in Uganda, dissent is treated as a crime and those who challenge authoritarian rule are punished rather than heard,” Byanyima asserted. She argued that Besigye’s experience is emblematic of a wider pattern of repression: “What is happening to Kizza Besigye is not unique. It is the fate of countless Ugandans, especially young activists, who disappear, are detained without charge, tortured, or even killed. Our nation’s future is being brutalised into silence.”
Besigye’s legal limbo has persisted despite repeated calls for bail and mounting concerns about his health. In January 2025, a military court ruled that Besigye could be tried for treachery, and on February 14, he appeared in Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Court looking frail. His lawyers argued that the proceedings violated his human rights. According to Martha Karua, a member of Besigye’s legal team, “We were informed that Dr Kizza Besigye is unwell; he is having bouts of dizziness, and he needs to be seen by the doctors and diagnosed. It is concerning that the health of Dr Besigye has been greatly compromised by his lengthy and unnecessary incarceration.”
Despite a Supreme Court ruling halting the trial of civilians in military courts, Besigye remains on remand facing court-martial charges. In August 2025, Justice Emmanuel Baguma denied Besigye’s request for mandatory bail, ruling that he had not yet reached the 180-day threshold, counting detention from February 21, 2025, rather than from his initial abduction the previous November. Besigye’s lawyers, however, maintain that he has already exceeded 180 days in custody without trial—a view shared by many legal observers and rights groups.
Byanyima’s calls for justice extend beyond her husband. She has also demanded the release of Obed Lutale, Besigye’s long-time ally, who was abducted alongside him. “Today, I call on Gen. Kaguta Museveni and the captured judiciary to free Kizza Besigye and Obed Lutale. Their continued detention is a stain on our nation. Uganda must reclaim its humanity,” she declared. She praised the legal team defending Besigye—including Martha Karua, Erias Lukwago, Ernest Kalibala, and Prossy Kunihira—for their courage and commitment to justice, saying, “Your courage in court, your clarity, and your commitment to justice keep hope alive. Uganda is indebted to you.”
Byanyima also took the opportunity to reflect on Besigye’s long and storied political journey. She recounted his escape from illegal detention during the Obote II regime at the notorious Nile Hotel basement, his subsequent exile, and his return to join the National Resistance Army (NRA) bush war. “He left his job as a medical doctor at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, joined Museveni in the bush war, and served with courage. One of only two doctors in the NRA, he fought in all major battles and saved countless lives, including as Museveni’s personal doctor,” she said.
After the war, Besigye helped build the National Resistance Movement (NRM) as National Political Commissar, shaping political structures across Uganda. But, as Byanyima explained, his break with Museveni came after the 2001 disputed election, when he believed the NRM had abandoned its founding ideals of democracy, human rights, and social justice. “In November 2005, 20 years ago, he was charged with treason, terrorism, illegal possession of weapons, and even rape. All false accusations. He faced trial and was exonerated.”
Throughout his career, Besigye has endured arrests, torture, smear campaigns, and politically motivated charges, but Byanyima insists his commitment to democracy has never wavered. “No amount of imprisonment or persecution can make him abandon the struggle for a free Uganda,” she said. She also expressed deep gratitude to family, friends, and supporters who have stood by Besigye throughout his year of detention: “To all supporters across Uganda and abroad who have believed in Besigye, stood in the sun and the rain, sung freedom songs, turned up in courts, and defended truth, thank you. You are the reason he fights every day. Your resilience is his fuel.”
The political ramifications of Besigye’s detention are far-reaching. His party, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), has announced it will not field a presidential candidate in 2026, instead backing a joint opposition contender. According to People Daily, the party cited the “military-style election environment” and the ongoing detention of Besigye, Lutale, and other activists as evidence of shrinking democratic space. Opposition leaders, including Bobi Wine, have accused the government of using security agencies and courts to silence critics—a charge authorities deny.
Byanyima’s final message was clear: the struggle surrounding her husband is not about one man, but about the future of Uganda. She called on authorities to respect legal principles, uphold the right to bail, and restore justice. “Innocent until proven guilty’ is not just a saying; it is a fundamental doctrine of our law. It is a gross injustice that Kizza Besigye and Obed Lutale have spent an entire year in a prison cell, denied bail, while the State continues to ‘gather evidence’ against them. In the name of justice and the rule of law, KB and Obed must be granted mandatory bail. It is not a favour, it is their right.”
As Uganda’s political future hangs in the balance, the fate of Kizza Besigye has become a lightning rod for debates over democracy, justice, and the rule of law. For many, his continued detention is more than a personal tragedy—it is a test of Uganda’s soul.