Edith Byanyima, sibling to jailed Dr. Kizza Besigye’s wife Winnie Byanyima, has told journalists that authorities from Luzira prison alerted them over the deteriorating health state of Dr. Kizza Besigye, allegedly asking them to dispatch his personal doctor to attend to him.
Byanyima disclosed this during the Sunday media conference the family convened at Kampala Serena Hotel where they condemned in the strongest of terms the inhuman trampling on Dr. Besigye’s human rights, and appealed to President Museveni to intervene.
This comes in the wake of the worrying state of life of incarcerated opposition politician, and three-time presidential candidate and former UPDF officer, Rtd. Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye as testified by his physical appearance in court last week, a number of concerned Ugandans have appealed to Ugandan Leader, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to order his release to access medical treatment.
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“This development strongly scared us and we took it as testimony that Dr. Besigye is in a critical health condition as we have continually been demanding the prison authorities to allow him access to his personal doctor and they have always declined”, Byanyima said.
Besigye and his co-accused Lubega Mukaaku on Friday appeared before Buganda Road Magistrate Winnie Nankya on charges of inciting violence which was preferred against them in 2022 when they protested against the rising cost of goods.
However, according to information through his lawyer Erias Lukwago’s X handle, the retired colonel had been rushed to a Bugoloobi private medical facility where he was admitted. According to Lukwago, Besigye needed more prayers because of his sharply deteriorated health.
Following non-compliance by relevant authorities of a recent supreme court decision to transfer case files of civilians under trial in the military general court martial to a civilian court, Col. Besigye who is on remand alongside Haji Obed Lutale on charges of conspiracy, went on a hunger strike.
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Among the recent people to plead with the head of state to intervene and save Besigye’s life include family members of his wife Winnie Byanyima, his team of lawyers led by Erias Lukwago, members of the medical fraternity headed by the President of the Uganda Medical Association Dr. Herbert Luswata, and the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda Dr. Steven Kazimba while officiating at a function to remember Archbishop Janan Luwum who was murdered during Idi Amin’s reign.
In a press briefing at Kampala’s Serena Hotel on Sunday, the children of Mzee Boniface Byanyima, father to Besigye’s wife Winnie, castigated state authorities for what they termed out rightly trampling on Dr. Besigye’s human rights.
According to Winnie’s sibling Edith Byanyima, they as a family received a telephone call from authorities at Luzira prison where Besigye and Haji Lutale are remanded, asking them to immediately send Besigye’s personal doctor to attend to him, which message Byanyima says, sent shivers down their spines.
Their press statement was signed by Winnie’s siblings including Edith, Anthony, Martha, Abrahma and Olive Byanyima. Meanwhile, members of the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) led by their President Dr. Herbert Luswata have appealed to the government to let Dr. Besigye access treatment at Mulago Hospital.
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They said the worrying news of his deteriorating health is not good and that if not attended to as soon as possible, things may turn out to be worse. In a media conference held at Mulago, UMA members implored Luzira authorities to come out openly and inform the nation the truth about Dr. Besigye’s life status.
However, Uganda Prisons publicist Frank Baine has since denied that Luzira prison authorities ever called the Byanyimas with such information. Besigye’s family members implored President Museveni to immediately step in and through his prerogative, enable Besigye to access medical treatment as, they added, if anything worse happens, he (Museveni) would be held liable.
At the Friday court appearance, Besigye appeared very weary and breathing with difficulty and sneezing continuously, and he was seated on a stool. Lawyer Lukwago who is at the head of Besigye’s legal team, prayed Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko to invoke provisions of the human rights law and make a final resolution to help him access treatment.
In his explanation, the prosecution leader Allan Mucunguzi clarified that Besigye is still held in Luzira on other charges as he has already been allowed court bail in the ongoing case. Magistrate Nankya adjourned the case to February 20th to give her ruling and extended Besigye’s bail.
