Dr. Kizza Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, says what the opposition leader is going through today can be traced back to the moment he challenged President Yoweri Museveni for power 25 years ago.
Byanyima says Besigye’s troubles didn’t start with his latest arrest or the treason case now facing him. She points to a much older political fight between two men who once stood on the same side.
According to Byanyima, Museveni responded angrily when Besigye first challenged him politically, allegedly telling him: “You are a traitor, I will put you six feet under.”
For Byanyima, the events surrounding Besigye today are part of that long political battle. She believes his refusal to simply comply with Museveni turned him from a former ally into one of the president’s strongest political opponents.
Besigye was once part of the group that fought alongside Museveni during the bush war. But after political differences emerged, their relationship changed dramatically.
For about 25 years, Besigye has remained one of Museveni’s biggest challengers. He has contested presidential elections, built opposition movements and spent years in and out of detention.
His latest chapter began in November 2024 when he was arrested in Nairobi and later brought back to Uganda. He’s now facing treason charges, while his health has become a major concern.
Byanyima’s account puts the current case in the wider history of a political rivalry that has lasted for decades.