KAMPALA — Winnie Byanyima, wife of detained opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye, has appealed to Ugandans to contribute to a solidarity fund established to support her husband and other detainees as concerns over his health and detention continue.
Byanyima, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, made the appeal in a post on X on Monday, thanking people who had contributed to the #StandWithKizzaBesigye campaign.
She said Besigye, who is facing treason charges, was “hurt and weaker but unbowed” and remained aware of the support being offered to him.
“No words can fully express my gratitude to every one of you who has contributed to the support fund for Kizza Besigye and those detained with him,” Byanyima said.
She alleged that Besigye had been “criminalised, isolated, humiliated, denied proper medical care and stripped of his defence lawyers.”
She called on Ugandans who believe in justice to contribute to the fund, saying even small contributions would make a difference.
The campaign is being led by human rights activist Agather Atuhaire and lawyer Eron Kiiza, with a stated fundraising target of Shs100 million. Organisers say the money is intended to support Besigye’s welfare and care while in detention and assist those facing the burden associated with his prolonged imprisonment.
Atuhaire said on Monday that the campaign had so far collected Shs22 million, up from Shs18 million reported earlier.
“Please keep the contributions coming. Whatever you have. Every contribution to stand in solidarity with Kizza Besigye matters,” Atuhaire said.
The campaign has attracted contributions from opposition politicians, activists and members of the public. According to reports, National Unity Platform president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, and his wife Barbara Itungo Kyagulanyi contributed Shs5 million.
Besigye’s health remains a concern
The fundraising comes amid continuing concerns about Besigye’s health.
The veteran opposition politician collapsed during proceedings at the High Court in Kampala on July 29, 2026, after protesting the continuation of his treason trial without lawyers of his choice. He was subsequently admitted to Mulago National Referral Hospital.
The High Court later directed Uganda Prisons Service to obtain a medical assessment to determine whether Besigye was fit to participate in the proceedings.
On August 18, Justice Emmanuel Baguma ruled that the treason trial could proceed in Besigye’s absence after receiving a medical report indicating that he had been discharged from hospital and was able to communicate and understand the proceedings.
His health has remained a recurring issue, however. On August 31, Uganda Prisons Service confirmed that Besigye and former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago had been taken from Luzira Prison to the Joint Clinical Research Centre for medical attention. Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine said both were stable and dismissed reports that they were in critical condition.
On September 2, High Court Judge Baguma declined an application seeking an order to transfer Besigye to a health facility of his choice. The judge instead said his condition should be monitored before further decisions were made.
Fight over legal representation
Besigye’s legal representation has also been a major point of contention in the case.
He and his co-accused have previously objected to state-appointed lawyers, insisting on representation by lawyers of their choice. In July, the High Court provided them with a list of advocates on state brief after they rejected legal representation arranged by the court.
Besigye’s lead lawyer, Erias Lukwago, has also been detained, while Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua, who had joined his legal team, was barred from practising in Uganda in connection with the case, according to reports.
The treason case against Besigye and his co-accused stems from allegations that they participated in meetings in Uganda and abroad between 2023 and 2024 as part of a plot to overthrow the government. They deny the allegations.
The solidarity campaign has now turned Besigye’s detention into something beyond a courtroom dispute: a test of how much ordinary Ugandans are willing to contribute, individually and collectively, to the welfare of a politician who has spent decades challenging the government.
Shs22 million has been raised. The target is Shs100 million.
The question is no longer simply whether Besigye has political supporters. It is whether those supporters — and Ugandans who may not even agree with him politically — are prepared to put money behind the principle of solidarity.
