Byanyima meets Ruto over jailed husband

CAPTION: UNAIDS chief Winnie Byanyima, left, meeting Kenya Presiden Willian Ruto, right at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Thursday, September 24th, 2026. (Courtesy Photo).

Kizza Besigye’s wife meets Ruto, demands answers over husband’s abduction and detention

• UNAIDS chief Winnie Byanyima faced public criticism after posting a photo with President William Ruto on the sidelines of UNGA in New York
• Critics argued that Byanyima showed leniency towards Ruto despite claims that Kenyan security agencies aided in her husband Kizza Besigye’s 2024 abduction
• Byanyima pushed back against the backlash, insisting she has evidence that Besigye was seized by four Ugandan security officials and remains imprisoned in Uganda

Winnie Byanyima, the wife of detained Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye and executive director of UNAIDS, has defended her `meeting Kenya’s President William Ruto on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

The encounter triggered sharp criticism from those who believe the Kenyan government played a role in her husband’s abduction.

Byanyima shared a photo with Ruto on the X social network on Wednesday, September 24, describing the meeting as productive and praising his continental health advocacy work.

The post ignited immediate backlash, with critics accusing her of extending goodwill to a leader whose administration, they contend, facilitated Besigye’s removal from Nairobi in November 2024.

Byanyima’s Praise for Ruto and the Rebuke That Followed

In her initial post, Byanyima said: “Good to meet President William Ruto at #UNGA. I strongly support his work as the AU Champion for Local Manufacturing of Medical Products. Africa must produce more of the medicines and health technologies we need.”

She also used the occasion to raise her husband’s case directly with the Kenyan president, stating:

“I also raised the continuing persecution of Dr Kizza Besigye. He was abducted in Nairobi in November 2024, forcibly taken to Uganda and has remained in detention since. President Yoweri Museveni cannot wash his hands of an abduction that ended with his political opponent before a Ugandan military court and, nearly two years later, still in prison.”

The criticism that followed centred on what many viewed as an inconsistency in her public posture.

Detractors argued it was inappropriate to applaud Ruto when Ugandan officers allegedly carried out the arrest of Besigye on Kenyan soil with the cooperation of Kenyan authorities.

Byanyima Responds, Reaffirms Calls for Besigye’s Release

Responding to the furore, Byanyima made clear that her professional mandate would not be subordinated to personal grievances.

“I hear and respect the strong feelings about my partner Kizza Besigye. I am at work, meeting governments, business and other leaders to end AIDS and Ebola, prevent future pandemics and advance Africa’s health sovereignty. There is no leader whose hand I will not shake in pursuit of that work.”

She added:

“I have evidence that KB was abducted by four Ugandan security officials. He remains a prisoner in Uganda. I continue to call on President Yoweri Museveni and his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba to end his persecution and free Kizza Besigye and all political prisoners.”

Byanyima also acknowledged the legitimacy of Kenyan public concern, stating:

“Kenyans are right to demand answers about whether their security agencies played any role in his abduction. Their democracy gives them that right. We Ugandans continue our struggle for freedom and democracy.”

Besigye, 69, is facing treason charges before a Ugandan military court following his abduction alongside ally Haji Obeid Lutale, who was also charged with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

The pair were seized while attending a book fair in Nairobi hosted by Kenyan politician Martha Karua.

Uganda’s then Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi stated that Kenyan officials were actively aware of and involved in the operation, asserting that Ugandan officers could not have moved freely in Nairobi without the knowledge of their Kenyan counterparts.

Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei denied any involvement, insisting Nairobi was unaware of Besigye’s presence and had no reason to participate in his arrest.

Besigye has been held without bail for months. His wife and human rights advocates have been pressing for his release on compassionate grounds, demanding that he be granted access to independent medical specialists amid growing concern over his health.