Tayari News
KAMPALA – The Government of Uganda has spoken out on the situation of veteran politician and four-time presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye, as well as the continued deployment of security forces at the home of National Unity Platform (NUP) leader and two-time presidential candidate Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi.
The Minister of Information, Communication Technology and National Guidance, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, while addressing the press in a post-election press conference held at the Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday, 27th January 2026, slammed reports that Dr Besigye, who is currently at Luzira Government prison on treason charges, is very sick and his health is deteriorating as earlier communicated by his family, and friends.
Dr Baryomunsi said that the former Forum for Democratic Change leader developed “a minor diarrhoea,” and he was being treated.
“A few days back, Dr Besigye just got some minor diarrheal illness, and he was taken by his personal doctors, and he is now well. And he is living his usual life within Luzira Prison. Contrary to what has been said, especially by his wife, that he is seriously sick and that he is not able to access his personal doctors, that is not true.” Dr Baryomunsi told reporters.
Winnie Byanyima, Dr Besigye’s wife, recently said his husband’s health was slowly but steadily deteriorating at Luzira Prison. Speaking to reporters at her home in Kasangati, Byanyima said Besigye was rushed to a clinic after complaining of a severe stomachache and fever.
Byanyima noted that Besigye declined treatment at the prison facility, citing fear for his safety.
According to Byanyima, Besigye told them that he does not trust the prison medical centre because he considers himself a prisoner of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his son, the Chief of Defence Forces, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and feared what might be done to him if treated by prison medical staff.
During the Tuesday press conference, Dr Baryomunsi, a physician and public health specialist, said that Besigye’s condition was being politicised.
“I have spoken to prison authorities, and I have also personally spoken to his personal doctors, who include his own biological siblings, and what I am telling you is a matter of fact. Why we sympathise with Dr Besigye is because he is still in prison, and it could be wrong to always politicise his situation by falsifying information. What we pray for is that he should get a speedy trial in court so that his issues are resolved as soon as possible,” he argued.
Deployment at Kyagulanyi’s home
The Minister defended the government’s decision to deploy heavily at National Unity Platform leader, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu’s home in Magere, saying the move was timely and necessary.
“The reason why security has deployed at Kyagulanyi’s home is basically for monitoring purposes because there is adequate intelligence information regarding what was being planned to cause interruption, but nobody has chased him from his home. As I said before, he is free to be in his home, provided he doesn’t engage in criminal activities.” Said Dr Baryomunsi, adding that Bobi Wine, like any other Ugandan, has been a presidential candidate, and after coming second in the race, he couldn’t be taken for granted.
“He came second, yes, but let’s not pretend as if we live outside Uganda. The kind of political culture some of these actors have brought is that since politics is associated with extremism, belligerence, defiance, and we all know where in his campaign was saying ‘this is a protest campaign,’ he was even urging supporters to mobilize the vote, cast the vote, defend it, demand it in the manner that was inciting the public that in case he doesn’t win, then something should be done. Any responsible government will not take those kinds of threats lying down, especially considering our history, where we have had cases of post-election violence, and we have lost lives.” He argued
Claiming to be speaking from Gomba district, where he had gone to visit his relatives, NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi claimed, “Despite the ongoing unjustified manhunt by the criminal regime, I am grateful to the common people whom I meet daily for trying to shield me and keep me safe.”
Boasting that he had passed by many roadblocks mounted on different roads, Kyagulanyi asked the regime to stop looking for him, adding that he will resurface “at an appropriate time.”
Kyagulanyi has since declared President Yoweri Museveni as the winner in the presidential election with 71.65%, claimed his home was under siege and surrounded by military, adding that he fled his home to evade possible arrest by the government.