Winnie Byanyima has publicly rebuked ICT Minister Chris Baryomunsi, calling him a "shameful liar" over claims that she is not listed as the next of kin of her husband, opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye.
The dispute stems from the Minister's attempts to downplay Besigye's health concerns while suggesting that Byanyima is excluded from his official prison records.
In a series of posts on X, Byanyima dismissed Baryomunsi's remarks as a deliberate attempt to sow division within her family and obscure the state's handling of Besigye's detention.
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She described the minister's claims as a "crude attempt to divide our family and manufacture confusion," adding that such conduct was "despicable, dishonest, and beneath public office."
Byanyima, who is the executive director of UNAIDS, directly challenged the government to disprove her assertion, stating on X, "I am officially registered at Luzira Prison as the next of kin of Dr Kizza Besigye. I challenge the Uganda Prison Service to publicly deny this fact."
The exchange followed comments by Baryomunsi in which he dismissed reports of Besigye's illness as a "minor case of diarrhea" and claimed that Byanyima did not appear on the official visitors' list, characterising the matter as an "internal family issue."
Byanyima rejected this portrayal, clarifying on X that while Besigye's sisters are formally listed as carers authorised to deliver food and personal items, her status as his primary legal next of kin remains unchanged.
She accused the minister of "casually misrepresenting a prisoner who cannot speak for himself," shifting attention to what she termed unethical state communication about political detainees.
The confrontation comes amid heightened scrutiny of Besigye's health while in detention.
On January 20, 2026, Byanyima criticised the Uganda Prison Service on X after Besigye was taken to a medical facility in Bugolobi.
She shared a photograph showing him in a hospital gown with a cannula, saying he had been placed on intravenous drips due to severe stomach pain.
Although Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine described the hospital visit as a "routine check," Byanyima accused the institution of misleading the public and withholding information from her.
She further expressed concern that Besigye fell ill during a period when the prison was closed to visitors, raising questions about his safety and the conditions of his confinement.
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Byanyima also alleged that a prison officer warned her against sharing the hospital image, threatening to withhold future medical care if she continued to publicise his condition.
Maintaining that Besigye remains under military control even while at Luzira, she has demanded that the state "back off Besigye and withdraw the unsubstantiated charges" ahead of his anticipated appearance before the High Court.
