Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), has once again hinted at plans to execute the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) leader, Kizza Besigye.
In a statement on February 19, 2026, Muhoozi said that only President Yoweri Museveni was preventing them from carrying out the plan.
“The only person preventing us from executing Besigye is Mzee himself,” read part of the statement shared on his X account.
He claimed that Besigye had hatched a plot to “kill” Museveni, and that the army would be acting in defense.
“Besigye wanted to kill Mzee, so as far as we are concerned, UPDF, he is a dead man walking.”
Muhoozi Reveals Date to Execute Kizza Besigye
Muhoozi previously warned that the longtime opposition leader to the regime would be hanged in Gulu on Heroes’ Day, June 9, as a result of the endless attacks against the first family.
“Dr. Kizza Besigye used to call me a clown and a coward. The tree of traitors is waiting for him in Gulu. We will hang KB on Heroes’ Day. That’s the best day for him to die. After that, we will arrest anybody who ever spoke ill of Afande Saleh in government,” read part of the statement.
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However, Winnie Byanyima, Besigye’s wife, responded, saying she was prepared to attend the proceedings and would ensure her husband received an honorary burial afterward.
She added that she doesn’t expect any justice from the court whose orders come from the top command of the country.
“The head of the army and President Kaguta Yoweri’s son has condemned Kizza Besigye to death by hanging, and set date and venue to hang him (as he celebrates, I suppose) before he is dead,” reads part of Byanyima’s statement.
Byanyima alleged that she is sure all the charges against Besigye are politically motivated, with the accusers being the judges.
Besigye’s Arrest and Detention
Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, has been jailed at Luzira Prison in Kampala, Uganda, since November 2025 on charges of plotting to overthrow the government of President Yoweri Museveni.
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Prosecutors cite treason, a crime that carries the death penalty in the East African country, stating that Besigye solicited military support overseas to destabilize national security.
Despite his deteriorating health condition, Besigye has been repeatedly denied bail by the judges.
On January 20, 2026, Kizza Besigye’s health worsened, and he was urgently transferred from Luzira Prison to a medical facility in Bugolobi.
His lawyers had requested that he be transferred to a medical facility of his choice, but the court rejected, arguing that it had not seen evidence that his health concerns could not be managed in prison.
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