The leadership of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) has strongly criticised Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister for ICT and National Guidance, over what it calls reckless and misleading statements about the health of opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye, who remains detained at Luzira Maximum Security Prison.
In a statement released on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, the party expressed deep concern about Besigye’s worsening health and accused the minister of violating medical ethics and basic human values through his public remarks.
The statement described it as unacceptable for a medical professional to downplay what the party says is a life-threatening situation.
“It is a breach of medical ethics and humanity when a fellow medical professional chooses to use his position to mislead the public and trivialise a serious health condition. As a doctor, Minister Baryomunsi should protect the sanctity of life, yet he has instead become a mouthpiece for state-sponsored propaganda,” the statement said.
The party’s response follows remarks made by Baryomunsi on Tuesday, January 27, while addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre. The minister said Besigye was suffering from a running stomach and was receiving specialised treatment from his personal doctors.
His comments appeared to echo those of Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, who said over the weekend that her husband had begun responding to medication under the care of medical professionals.
However, the PFF leadership rejected this account, insisting that Besigye’s condition continues to worsen and that he urgently needs specialised medical care.
“We wish to state clearly that Dr Kizza Besigye is seriously ill and requires immediate, specialised medical attention. The regime seems to have forgotten that the same man they now seek to break through medical neglect and judicial harassment once saved the life of President Museveni,” the statement said.
The party also accused the state of using the courts and prison system as tools of punishment, noting that Besigye remains incarcerated without bail.
“This is a deliberate attempt to weaken Dr Besigye by targeting his physical health. We remind the state that the Human Rights Enforcement Act clearly protects the health and rights of suspects,” the party added.
Besigye remains in detention facing charges of treason and other offences linked to an alleged plot to overthrow the government. His imprisonment follows his arrest in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2024 and a series of high-profile legal proceedings since then.
