The Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Chris Baryomunsi, has said embattled Dr. Kizza Besigye is in stable condition and has fully recovered after suffering a minor Diarrheal illness while in custody at Luzira Prison.
He made the revelation today while addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Center.
Baryomunsi said Besigye briefly fell ill a few days ago but was promptly attended to by his personal doctors and has since resumed his normal routine in prison.
“A few days back, Dr Besigye just got some minor diarrheal illness. He was taken by his personal doctors, and he is now well. He is living his usual life within Luzira Prison,” Baryomunsi said.
The minister dismissed claims that Besigye was critically ill or denied access to medical care, saying such reports were inaccurate.
“It is not true that he is seriously sick or that he is unable to access his personal doctors. I have spoken to the prison authorities and I have also personally spoken to his doctors, including his own biological siblings. What I am saying is a matter of fact,” he said.
Baryomunsi cautioned against what he described as exaggeration of Besigye’s health condition, arguing that it fuels unnecessary anxiety among the public.
“While we sympathise with Dr Besigye because he is still in prison, it would be wrong to over publicise his situation by giving out false information,” he added.
He further explained that access to Besigye by family members and doctors is guided by the list of next of kin provided by Besigye himself at the time of his detention.
“The people who bring him food and attend to him are those he listed. They include his doctors and they are in touch with him,” Baryomunsi said.
“I went to his cell by myself last year, 2025. He has a self-contained room and access to television. It is not true that he is confined in a manner that undermines his dignity,” he said.
However, earlier comments by Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, painted a more cautious picture of his health. Via her X (formerly Twitter) handle, yesterday, Byanyima said Besigye was beginning to respond to treatment, though his recovery remained slow.
“He is responding to treatment, but it is slow and painful,” Byanyima said, noting that her husband had been visibly weak during her recent visit.
She expressed concern that Besigye’s condition had taken time to stabilise, arguing that his recovery underscored the need for close medical attention.
Byanyima has repeatedly called for Besigye to be allowed better medical access and urged the authorities to prioritise his health as legal processes continue.
Baryomunsi, however, maintained that the focus should remain on expediting Besigye’s case through the courts.
“What we pray for is that he gets a speedy trial so that his issues are resolved as soon as possible,” he said.
