John Jairo

Second Statement: I am outraged by the blatant lies told to the public yesterday by the Uganda Prison Service spokesperson, Frank Baine, who claimed that Dr @kizzabesigye1 was not ill and that he had merely gone to a clinic for a routine medical check-up. Today, the same Prison Service informed the court that Dr Besigye could not appear because he is ill, forcing the hearing to be postponed to 24 February. This contradiction exposes a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and conceal the truth about his deteriorating health. I have just returned from Luzira Prison, where after more than two hours of haggling with the prison commander, I was finally allowed to see Dr Besigye. I found him huddled in a dirty plastic chair in a small room near his cell. He is extremely weak. His symptoms have not improved. The prison doctor confirmed to me that Dr Besigye’s personal doctor had reported test results showing that the infection is worsening, not improving. Dr Besigye told me he is finding it difficult to walk and is experiencing significant pain in his legs. He is still unable to eat solid food and, in the past eight hours, had consumed only soup, an egg, and a slice of bread. Despite his condition, prison authorities are refusing to transfer him to a fully equipped hospital where his personal doctor can properly monitor and treat him. Instead, they proposed admitting him to Murchison Bay Prison Hospital, a facility notorious for neglect and preventable deaths, and where the army would have full control over his treatment. Dr Besigye has flatly refused this. He will not place his life in the hands of President Museveni and his personal army. He insists - reasonably and lawfully - on being treated at a private hospital where his doctor works, under prison guard if required. I am deeply disturbed that a man who fell ill five days ago, whose condition is worsening, is still being held in a tiny, extremely hot cell and denied access to adequate medical care. This is cruel, dangerous, and unlawful. The Officer-in-Charge of Luzira Prison and the NRM government must explain: ➡️ why Dr Besigye is being denied proper medical treatment, ➡️ the Prison Service lied to the public about his condition, and ➡️ a gravely ill detainee is being treated with such inhumanity. I demand that Dr Kizza Besigye be released immediately and allowed to return home to be cared for by his family and doctors. I also demand that the trumped-up charges against him be dropped. His life is in danger. The responsibility will lie squarely with those who continue to deny him care. Winnie Byanyima Spouse of Dr Kizza Besigye 21 January 2026