Detained Ugandan opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye has started a hunger strike after spending nearly three months in detention awaiting trial.
His wife, Winnie Byanyima, made the revelation while criticizing Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and his government for locking him up.
“Kizza Besigye is on hunger strike, detained illegally by a regime that fears his defiance more than it respects the law,” Byabyima said.
In a statement, Byanyima said his husband’s detention is an attack on the people of Uganda, adding that the government should not overlook Besigye.
Byanyima emphasized that she will support her husband in his fight for justice.
She explained that Besigye surrender while the government continues to violate justice.
“This is not just an attack on him—it is an attack on every Ugandan who dares to demand justice. They think they can break his spirit, but they underestimate his resolve,” she said.
Besigye will not yield while the regime tramples on justice. His fight is my fight. I will stand with him. Stand for justice. Stand with
Earlier, she had hinted that Besigye was considering going on a hunger strike as a form of protest.
“Detained Uganda opposition leader Besigye contemplates hunger strike,” she said.
Also Read: Museveni Explains Why Besigye Was Taken to Military Court
Besigye Kidnapped & Charged
Unknown individuals kidnapped Besigye on November 16 while he was in Nairobi for a book launch hosted by Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua.
His wife, Winnie Byanyima, stated that authorities were holding him in a military jail in Kampala, Uganda.
On November 20, officials charged Besigye and Haji Obeid Utale at the General Court Martial in Makindye, Kampala. They faced accusations of possessing pistols and attempting to purchase weapons abroad—charges they denied.
Additionally, prosecutors accused the pair of holding meetings outside the country to secure funding aimed at destabilizing Uganda’s security. The alleged offenses occurred between October 2023 and November 2024 in Geneva (Switzerland), Athens (Greece), and Nairobi.
Besigye’s trial was initially set for January, but the start date remains uncertain.
Also Read: Besigye’s Wife Reveals Details of People Involved in His Abduction
Missing Court Proceedings
On Tuesday, February 11, he failed to appear before Buganda Road Court for the hearing of an incitement to violence case dating back to 2022.
The officer in charge of Upper Prison, where Besigye is detained, informed Trial Magistrate Winnie Nankya that his health issues prevented him from attending.
As a result, Nankya postponed the hearing. The judge ordered prison authorities to present Besigye on Friday, February 14, to determine the reasons for his absence.
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