Veteran Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye’s wife Winnie Byanyima has raised an alarm over his safety in custody.

Speaking on Wednesday, February 21, 2026, during an interview with a local daily, Byanyima claimed that Uganda has descended into what she described as a “naked dictatorship” where lives are at risk.

Byanyima further expressed fears that Ugandan Chief of Defence Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of President Yoweri Museveni, or members of the security forces could kill Besigye.

“We live in fear that General Muhoozi or any of his soldiers could kill Besigye. Uganda is now a naked dictatorship where our lives are in the hands of the president and his son,” Byanyima said.

Muhoozi’s prisoner

She also raised concerns that, despite being held in a civilian prison, her husband is still a prisoner of General Muhoozi.

According to her, Besigye is continuously surveilled, surrounded, and guarded by military officers.

“My husband, Besigye, is a prisoner of General Muhoozi, only being held in a civilian prison. He is continuously surveilled, surrounded, and guarded by the soldiers of Gen Muhoozi,” she said.

Besigye’s health

She also insisted that her husband has a right to bail, noting that although he is currently not as ill as he was previously, she is still concerned about his health.

“Dr. Besigye is not as ill as he was previously, but I’m still concerned about his health. He has allergic reactions to the conditions of the prison in which he is being held. He has a right to bail; he should be released on bail,” Byanyima said.

Byanyima had previously revealed that Besigye’s health was worrying, citing symptoms including high temperature, stomach pain, dehydration, and inability to walk.

Besigye’s detention

Besigye, 69, has spent more than a year in detention after his arrest in Nairobi, Kenya, where he had travelled before being extradited to Uganda and charged with treason and other offences.

His lawyers, wife, and political allies have rejected the charges, describing him as a political prisoner targeted for opposing President Yoweri Museveni’s decades-long rule.

Museveni, 81, secured another term in Uganda’s January 2026 election after he was declared the winner with just under 72% of the vote against his opponent, Bobi Wine, who has contested the results as fraudulent.