Politics 22 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Dr Besigye Marks 70th Birthday in Luzira Prison Amid Family Visit and Treason Charges
Opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye quietly celebrated his 70th birthday in Uganda's Luzira Maximum Security Prison, visited by family including wife Winnie Byanyima, contrasting sharply with the lavish plans for Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba's 52nd birthday. Byanyima decried the 'trumped-up' charges keeping him detained for over 520 days and called for President Museveni to drop the case. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/besigye-joins-7th-floor-while-in-luzira-s-cage-5433138
Dr Kizza Besigye, a prominent opposition figure and four-time presidential candidate, marked his 70th birthday inside Luzira Maximum Security Prison, where he has been held as a political prisoner for 522 days on treason charges.
Family members, including his wife Winnie Byanyima and son Anselm, along with sisters and relatives, gathered for a subdued celebration. Byanyima brought gifts, books, a jigsaw puzzle, and a card, noting that Besigye remains healthy and in good spirits while maintaining his innocence. Prison officials held back the books pending screening.
This low-key event stands in stark contrast to the opulent birthday plans for Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of President Museveni and Chief of Defence Forces, including a special birthday run. Besigye, a former army colonel who fought in the Bush War alongside Museveni, was abducted in Nairobi on November 16, 2024, and charged before a military tribunal with security-related offenses and illegal firearm possession.
Byanyima described the incarceration as painful, attributing it to Besigye’s presidential ambitions rather than real crimes. She highlighted how challengers like Robert Kyagulanyi face exile or jail, urging Museveni and his son to end persecution, allow state institutions independence, and pursue dialogue for a peaceful transition.
Besigye is due back in court soon to contest the charges alongside co-accused Obeid Lutale, supported by a pro bono legal team. Byanyima thanked supporters and recounted incidents like the cancellation of prayers by Archbishop Paul Ssemwogerere after presidential intervention, emphasizing prayers for the Museveni family despite the tensions.
She criticized the personalization of the case, with orders allegedly influencing judges and threats from the first family, calling for impartial prosecution.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)