President Yoweri Museveni has revealed his position on the controversy surrounding Dr Kizza Besigye saying that the correct question is not why Dr. Besigye was sent to court, but why he was arrested.
“If you want a quiet country, the most accurate question should be: why was Dr. Besigye arrested?” Museveni said. “The answer to that is a quick case so that the truth is known.”
Museveni's statement has come a day since Dr Bsigye was taken to hospital after his health deteriorated following his eating strike.
According to the BBC, the opposition leader has been reinstated.
Dr Besigye was arrested on November 16, 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya and transported to Uganda where he has been charged in a military court on suspicion of illegally being found with a pistol and that he had a plan to buy weapons abroad.
In a statement he posted on his X account today on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, President Museveni emphasized the importance of accountability, especially for those accused of serious offenses.
“We are not for revenge, but the risk posed by the killers must be eliminated,” he said.
He added that Uganda's history is based on reconciliation and forgiveness, but that should not come at the expense of accountability.
Regarding Dr. Besigye's health, Museveni noted that there is a government hospital in the prison and that his private doctors have been visiting him. However, he emphasized that his eating strike has contributed to his weakening.
“Isn't that a baseless fraud?” Museveni has questioned.
He added, “How can you be charged with serious offenses and then responding to an eating strike to get sympathy and bail? Why do you insist the case is heard quickly? ”
Museveni also addressed the delay in Dr. Besigye's case, which should be transferred from the military court to the civil court.
“Who hampered the trial process? It was the courts themselves that showed some defects in military courts and issued a lawsuit to be transferred to civil courts, ”he said.
His wife visits to prison
Writing on X network, Dr. Besigye's wife, Winnie Byanyima said she visited her husband in her prison room today on February 18, 2025.
“He was lying on a small bed that took the entire length of the room. A bunch of old magazines and two cardboard boxes were on the side of his bed, leaving only one room to sit.
“There were approximately six or seven closed doors I went through before arriving in his room, which is in a narrow and dark corridor. One person told me that this is a special prison for suspected terrorists.
It was very painful to find @Kizzabesigye1 in such a state of humiliation. ”
He added, “Kiiza Besigye is weak, has lost weight at an alarming rate, and feels dizzy has not eaten for five days. This is not just an unlawful fast, but a kidnapping. I'm very upset and I want @kagutamuseveni with his son, the commander of the army, let him go immediately. He is a righteous citizen – like them! ”
