Embattled Dr. Kizza Besigye is beginning to respond slowly and painfully to treatment, his wife Winnie Byanyima has revealed.

Byanyima, who visited her husband last Friday, described a frail Besigye struggling with basic movements and living under harsh conditions that she said are undermining his recovery.

“When I visited Dr. Kizza Besigye… he was beginning to respond, slowly and painfully, to treatment. We are very grateful to his personal doctor, who has been braving traffic and repeatedly driving to Luzira Maximum Security Prison to check on him, because prison officials have refused to take him to the private clinic where full and proper medical care can be provided,” she said.

She said Besigye was so weak he could not walk from his cell to the visitors’ reception and had to cling to walls to avoid falling. He was returned to what she described as an oven hot, dark, bedbug infested cell after the visit. In eight hours, he had eaten only a small piece of yam and half an avocado, a sign of deteriorating strength, she said.

“This is not care. This is punishment,” Byanyima said in her statement, adding that Besigye is being deliberately denied the medical care he trusts and requires.

Byanyima’s comments illustrate rising frustration among Besigye’s supporters and family over what they call denial of adequate health care and repeated refusals to allow him treatment at a private clinic where more comprehensive care could be provided. She argued that his basic rights, including access to timely medical attention, are being violated and demanded his immediate release on bail and unrestricted access to proper medical care.

The Uganda Prisons Service has disputed claims that Besigye’s condition is critical, urging Byanyima to stop politicizing the matter. Prison officials said Besigye’s recent health concerns were being managed and that his overall condition was not as serious as some reports suggested.

Earlier reports indicated that Besigye was transferred from Luzira to a medical facility in Bugolobi Village Mall under heavy security as his health deteriorated. That transfer raised concern among supporters and rights activists, who said it highlighted serious risks to his well-being.

Byanyima emphasized that under Ugandan law, Besigye is innocent until proven guilty, questioning why he has been denied bail multiple times even as his health falters. She said denying him access to family and proper health care amounts to cruelty and inhuman treatment that endangers his life.

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Ronald Balimwezo Nsbuga has ended  Erias Lukwago’s long stay at City Hall after defeating him in the Kampala Lord mayor race, according to the official declaration of results by the Electoral Commission.

Announcing the final tally late Friday night, the Kampala Returning Officer, Jennifer Kyobutungi said Balimwezo secured a decisive victory after polling the highest number of valid votes cast across the city.

“Having added up the number of votes cast as recorded on each Declaration of Results Form in accordance with the Local Governments Act, I declare that the total number of valid votes cast for each candidate is as follows,” Kyobutungi said.

She declared that Balimwezo, running on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, garnered 141,220 votes, beating his closest rivals in a crowded race.

“Accordingly, as Returning Officer for Kampala Electoral District and in accordance with the law, I declare Ronald Balimwezo Nsbuga, who obtained the largest number of votes, to be the elected candidate for Kampala,” she announced.

The results show that Moses Nsbuga Zitto of NRM garnered 43,615 votes while  Erias Lukwago, contesting on the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) ticket, came third with 41,915 votes.

Other contenders in the race trailed far behind the winner. Beatrice Mao of the Democratic Party (DP) garnered 2,162 votes, as Ibrahim Biribawa Ssozi of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) obtained 1,427 votes. Independent candidates Nabilah Naggayi Sempala and Eddie Bazira Ibalama received 1,854 and 188 votes respectively, while Jothan Amureebire, also an independent, polled 119 votes, according to the final results declared by the Returning Officer.

A total of 232,500 valid votes were cast in the election, with 3,527 ballot papers rejected and 1,047 spoilt ballots, out of 236,027 ballot papers counted, according to the official results sheet.

Balimwezo’s victory brings new leadership in Kampala, ending Lukwago’s grip on City Hall that dates back more than a decade. Lukwago first rose to the top city office in 2011, when he was elected Lord Mayor of Kampala, a position he went on to retain through successive, often turbulent, electoral cycles. 

His tenure was characterised by high-profile confrontations with the central government, legal battles, impeachment attempts and a strong personal following within the opposition.

Despite changes in the governance structure of Kampala with the introduction of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Lukwago remained a towering political figure in the city for nearly 15 years, becoming one of the longest-serving top city politicians in Uganda’s history.

Balimwezo’s ascent, on the other hand, has been gradual but steady. He entered national politics in 2011 when he was elected Member of Parliament for Nakawa East, a seat he successfully defended in subsequent elections. Known for his grassroots mobilisation and party loyalty, Balimwezo rose through the opposition ranks and later became a key mobiliser for NUP in Kampala.

The declaration was made at MUBS playgrounds at 11:20 pm on January 23, 2026, sealing a transition at City Hall.

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BUTAMBALA-Butambala Member of Parliament, Muwanga Kivumbi, has been charged with terrorism (allegations) and remanded to Kitalya Government Prison until February 3, 2026, after appearing before the Butambala Magistrate’s Court.

Muwanga Kivumbi appeared before the court under tight security without any of his lawyers. He asked the magistrate to allow him to call his legal team, and fortunately, the magistrate stood over the matter for one hour. Unfortunately, the team did not arrive in time, and Kivumbi faced the magistrate alone. Police denied Muwanga phones to communicate with his family and legal team since he was held incommunicado at Kireka.

The magistrate read out the charge and ruled that the court would only conduct mentions of the case as it awaits committal to the High Court, which has jurisdiction to try terrorism offences.

“Our role is only to read the charge to you so that you understand why you are being remanded,” the magistrate told the legislator, before ordering his continued detention.

According to the prosecution, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Rachael Bikhole, Kivumbi, together with others still at large allegedly coordinated and carried out violent attacks between January 11 and January 17, 2026, in Kibibi Town Council and Gombe Town Council, both in Butambala District.

The state alleges that the acts were carried out for purposes of influencing government or intimidating the public or a section of the public and for political or economic aims, without due regard to the safety of others or property.

Prosecutors further claim that the attacks targeted Kibibi Police Station and the Butambala Electoral Commission tally centre, actions they say endangered national security and public safety.

“It is further alleged that the accused caused extensive damage along sections of the Butambala–Gomba road involving several motor vehicles, acts which directly resulted in the death of seven people,” the magistrate read from the charge sheet.

The deceased were named in court as Nagayi Sarah, Nabukenya Aisha, Nampereza Milly, Nakanjako Ruth, Nsamba Abdul Nulu, Miro Shafiq and Basalira Davis.

Asked whether he understood the allegations, Kivumbi responded in the affirmative but raised concerns about legal representation. He questioned the nature of the proceedings and sought clarification on why the case could not immediately proceed to trial.

“The charge before this court is terrorism,” the magistrate clarified.

He added that the matter would be mentioned at the magistrate’s court until the High Court is ready to take it on.

Kivumbi was arrested yesterday during a security operation in Butambala District and later transferred under heavy guard to court. Investigations are ongoing, with several suspects linked to the alleged attacks still at large.

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