Key Facts
- Who. Gen. Salim Saleh, President Museveni’s younger brother, and Kizza Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate held on remand for treason.
- What. Saleh says he found Besigye “almost dead, in prison” and moved him to a clinic, the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC).
- Dispute. Besigye’s wife denies any negotiations, while Justice Minister Norbert Mao says Museveni ordered talks.
- Not known. When Saleh visited the prison, and how Besigye is today.
Gen. Salim Saleh, the younger brother of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, says he found jailed opposition leader Kizza Besigye “almost dead” in prison. Saleh says he then moved Besigye to a clinic near Kampala for intensive care.
The remarks, reported on Friday, Oct. 30, add a vivid detail to the dispute over whether the government is talking to the opposition, which we covered in our report on Saleh’s power-sharing call. Uganda is a US security partner that sends troops to Somalia, so its best-known prisoner matters to US readers.
Published Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, 4 a.m. ET · Source: Gen. Salim Saleh’s remarks as reported Oct. 30, and statements by the Uganda Prisons Service and Besigye’s wife
What Saleh Said
Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho, known as Salim Saleh, is Museveni’s younger brother and a senior presidential adviser. He said he found his “friend almost dead, in prison” when he visited Besigye at Luzira, the maximum-security prison in Kampala.
Saleh said he then moved Besigye to the Joint Clinical Research Centre in Lubowa, a Kampala suburb, for intensive care. He described the move as his first action and as reconnecting with “an old colleague”.
Saleh spoke at his base in Kapeeka, in Nakaseke District north of Kampala. He said he hoped the two sides could persuade each other within three to six months.
Why Saleh Got Involved
Saleh said the visit followed a post on X on Aug. 25, 2026 by Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the chief of defence forces, Saleh’s nephew and Museveni’s son. Kainerugaba wrote that Besigye “will be handled by Afande Saleh”, using a military term of address, and should talk to him “if he wants forgiveness”.
Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate and former ally of Museveni, has been in custody since his arrest in Nairobi in November 2024. He is on remand on treason charges with two co-accused, Obeid Lutale and Capt. Denis Oola, and has not been convicted.
Health Scare and Official Lines
Besigye collapsed in the High Court on July 29, 2026 and was taken to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala. Reports say he was returned to Luzira on Aug. 7 after about 10 days.
On Aug. 11, prisons spokesperson Frank Baine said the prisons medical team was “fully in charge” and that Besigye’s condition was “steadily improving”. His wife, Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, the United Nations HIV/AIDS agency, said on Aug. 28 that he had been moved to JCRC after dark and was weak.
In a later statement, Baine said the prisons medical team took Besigye and Erias Lukwago, a former Kampala lord mayor, to JCRC. He dismissed social-media reports that either man was in critical condition.
Talks Claimed and Denied
Mao has said Museveni directed talks involving officials, family members and political groups on the cases of detained opposition figures. Saleh said: “Don’t ask me whether we are in peace talks or not.”
Byanyima said there are no negotiations for Besigye’s release, adding that his health and his rights “are not matters for negotiation”. The two accounts cannot both be right, and no document settles it.
What It Means for You
Amnesty International, the human-rights group, issued an urgent appeal in February 2026 asking that Besigye receive urgent medical care. Any lasting political deal in Uganda would lower risk for partners and investors, but none has been announced.
No US reaction to Saleh’s remarks has been reported. Investors and travellers should treat Uganda’s politics as unsettled while the dispute over talks continues.
What Is Not Known
The date of Saleh’s prison visit is not confirmed. A planned meeting between Besigye, Lukwago and Saleh at Kapeeka was reported postponed on Sept. 1 because both men were too ill to travel.
The prisons service line that Besigye was not in critical condition has not been reconciled with Saleh’s “almost dead” account. We found no prisons service response to Saleh’s remarks.
Besigye’s current condition and location are not known. We found no court ruling on bail or medical release.
Sources
Remarks by Gen. Salim Saleh at Kapeeka, reported Oct. 30, 2026 · Uganda Prisons Service statements, August 2026 · Amnesty International, urgent action AFR 59/0705/2026 · Our Uganda coverage
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Gen. Salim Saleh say about Kizza Besigye?
Saleh said he found Besigye “almost dead, in prison” at Luzira and moved him to the Joint Clinical Research Centre in Lubowa for intensive care. The remarks were reported on Oct. 30, 2026.
Are the government and Besigye’s side in talks?
Justice Minister Norbert Mao says Museveni directed talks involving officials, family members and political groups. Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, says there are no negotiations for his release.