Winnie Byanyima Vows to Camp at Luzira Prison if Denied Access to Besigye
Winnie Byanyima, the wife to Dr Kizza Besigye, the four-time presidential candidate has threatened to camp at Luzira Maximum Prison if she is denied access to him.
Besigye is currently on remand at Luzira prisons over charges related to being found in possession of firearms in a foreign country. Addressing a press conference on Thursday at her home in Kasangati Wakiso district, Byanyima, who is the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS-UNAIDS, said she can’t accept the Uganda Prisons Service directives to freeze visits to prisoners starting December 24 to January 3 2025 because she doesn’t trust them to keep Besigye safe.
A week ago, the Uganda Prisons Service had said it was stopping visits to prisoners for almost a month but later revised it to just a week. Byanyima said she had already had an interaction with Johnson Byabashaija, the Commissioner General of Prisons this week to protest the ban. She said, that Byabashaija had given her a green light to visit Besigye but said this should only be for him but not all prisoners.
Byanyima also said she has every reason to believe that the government wants to harm Dr Besigye that’s why it is implementing changes in protocol at the prisons.
She said the day Besigye was sent to Luzira prisons, the Office in Charge Mbaziira who had experience for years was replaced by another junior officer who had joined the Prisons service only in 2020. She said under normal circumstances a person like this can’t be made to head the biggest prison in the country.
When contacted, Frank Baine Mayanja who speaks for the Uganda Prisons Services said, they have a mandate to execute and that they will not take orders from anyone. “Does she run Prisons? Is this the first time we have banned visits to prisons because of security concerns? If she wants to visit her husband, let her get a special permit to do so otherwise she is not going to tell us how we should run prisons,” Baine said.
On the transfer of Mbaziira, Baine said, this was an administrative issue and had nothing to do with Besigye. “Do you know how many OCs have run Luzira prisons before Mbaziira? What if he had been taken to Murchison Bay, would he still have found Mbaziira there? I think she should let us do our job,” Baine said.
Meanwhile, Byanyima said today she was going to Luzira to take a paper and a pen to Besigye so that he can personally write a letter authorising Martha Karua and another Kenyan lawyer she didn’t disclose to lead his legal team. Byanyima said Beisgye will not apply for bail for as long as he is still being tried in the court martial.
She said Besigye doesn’t believe that the Court Martial has the power to try him and Obed Lutale because they are both civilians.
Karua has been denied a temporary certificate by the Uganda Law Council to represent Besigye who had been arrested from Nairobi where he had gone to attend her book launch.
Meanwhile, Byanyima refused to be drawn into disclosing the identity of the British national whom she has previously said had lured Besigye into an apartment block in Nairobi where he was arrested in mid-November. She said all their efforts now are geared towards shifting Besigye from the court martial to a civilian court.
She said once this is done, that’s when they will prove that the cases against him are all tramped up.
Winnie Byanyima Vows to Camp at Luzira Prison if Denied Access to Besigye
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Ugandan Citizen Abducted, Held in Secret Detention for Three Months, Sparks Outrage and Calls for Justice
A disturbing new case of unlawful detention has surfaced, highlighting the ongoing human rights crisis in Uganda. A Ugandan citizen was reportedly abducted and held in a secret facility, known as a “safe house,” for three months, only to be released without charge or explanation. This incident, reported by NTV Uganda, has sparked widespread condemnation and renewed calls for accountability regarding human rights abuses in the country.
While the details surrounding the abduction remain unclear, reports indicate that the individual was taken without due process and held incommunicado—an action that has long been condemned by human rights organizations. The victim’s release, with no charges filed and no clear justification, has angered activists and citizens, who view this as yet another case of egregious abuse of power by the state.
“This is a recurring pattern,” said one human rights activist. “Abductions, secret detentions, and unexplained releases have become all too common in Uganda. These acts violate fundamental human rights and erode public trust in the justice system.”
The use of “safe houses,” unregistered detention facilities reportedly operated by security forces, has been a focal point in numerous allegations of torture and illegal imprisonment. Despite repeated calls from both local and international organizations for their closure and accountability for those involved, little action has been taken to address these violations.
This case underscores the urgent need for reform within Uganda’s security apparatus and greater accountability for human rights abuses. Observers hope that drawing attention to these injustices will spur concrete action to bring those responsible to justice and ensure the protection of basic human rights.
As frustration mounts, calls for both domestic and international pressure to hold the government accountable for such crimes grow louder. “One day, there must be accountability for all these crimes against our people,” stated one social media user, reflecting the sentiments of many Ugandans.
National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi has accused Ugandan security forces of using excessive force to disrupt a planned NUP gathering. The allegations were detailed in a statement shared on Twitter, following an event held to honor children of NUP supporters who were killed, disappeared, or detained for their political beliefs.
According to Kyagulanyi, security personnel, under the command of an officer identified as Asiimwe, carried out a preemptive operation early in the morning upon learning of the NUP’s plans. The forces allegedly stormed the premises, arrested workers, and deployed tear gas to disperse those present.
“The criminals under the command of one Asiimwe deployed early morning, arrested our workers, and threw tear gas into our premises. They’ve cordoned off the premises and blocked all people from accessing the place,” Kyagulanyi wrote.
Among those reportedly arrested were Saava Peter, Mudenya Samson, and Turyasingura Samson. Kyagulanyi claimed the detained workers were subjected to beatings and interrogated about their political affiliations, with security operatives labeling them as terrorists.
“These JATT operatives asked the workers who they support politically, branding them terrorists and criminals—their only crime being that they work with us. You can imagine the indignity!” Kyagulanyi lamented.
This incident adds to the growing tension in Uganda’s political climate, where opposition parties frequently accuse the government of stifling dissent. Despite the challenges, Kyagulanyi ended his statement with a message of defiance and optimism, proclaiming, “UGANDA WILL BE FREE.”
NUP Gathering Disrupted: Kyagulanyi Alleges Security Force Harassment and Arrests
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Sudan Demands Apology from Uganda Over Army Chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s Threat to Invade Khartoum
Sudan has demanded an official apology from Uganda over “offensive and dangerous” comments made by the chief of Uganda army staff, who threated to invade Khartoum, the Sudan Tribune has reported.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and CDF of the Ugandan army, posted two comments on the X platform on Tuesday in which he threatened “to capture Khartoum” with the support of the US President elect Donald Trump after he takes office. The posts were deleted later.
“The government of Sudan demands and official apology from the Ugandan government for the offensive and dangerous comments of the army commander,” Sudan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the Sudan Tribune said it has seen.
Sudan Demands Apology from Uganda Over Army Chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s Threat to Invade Khartoum