KAMPALA, Uganda — Winnie Byanyima, the wife of prominent Ugandan opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye, has dismissed suggestions that her past relationship with President Yoweri Museveni has any bearing on Dr. Besigye’s current legal troubles.
Ms. Byanyima, a Ugandan aeronautical engineer, politician, human rights activist, feminist, and the Executive Director of UNAIDS, addressed the long-circulated rumors of her past romance with Mr. Museveni in an interview with Uganda’s Next Gen Radio.
She emphasized that the past relationship is not a factor in the present situation, amidst Mr. Museveni’s perceived lack of empathy towards Dr. Besigye’s incarceration.
“Yes. A long time ago I had a relationship with Museveni but it has no relevance now. It was a normal relationship with President Museveni. It had some challenges, and I left it, but it is not relevant to the political discussion,” she stated.
Speculation regarding Ms. Byanyima’s past relationship with Mr. Museveni has resurfaced on social media, with many users alleging that Mr. Museveni’s actions towards Dr. Besigye are influenced by personal feelings.
The relationship has often been brought up during Uganda’s political contests. In 2006, The Telegraph, a UK newspaper, published an article titled “Tangled tale of love and betrayal that links bitter rivals,” which explored the potential impact of the relationship on Ugandan succession politics.
The article described Ms. Byanyima as a “headstrong and elegant woman” who had a significant affair with Mr. Museveni in the 1980s before marrying his political adversary.
During the Ugandan Bush War of the 1980s, Mr. Museveni and Dr. Besigye were allies, with Dr. Besigye serving as his personal physician. This historical context has added a layer of personal bitterness to Dr. Besigye’s current trials, where he faces charges of attempting to overthrow the government.
Ms. Byanyima and Mr. Museveni’s relationship occurred between 1981 and 1986, during Museveni’s guerrilla war against Milton Obote. Ms. Byanyima was present when Mr. Museveni’s rebel army entered Kampala and he assumed the Presidency in 1986.
However, Mr. Museveni’s decision to remain with his wife, Janet, led to the end of his relationship with Ms. Byanyima.
Ms. Byanyima later married Besigye on July 7, 1999, just as he began to publicly criticize President Museveni.
On Friday, Dr. Besigye’s controversial case was transferred from a military tribunal to a civilian court, where he was charged with treason.
Treason carries a capital punishment in Uganda, and the 68-year-old Besigye could face the death penalty if convicted.
Two other individuals were charged alongside him but did not enter pleas as their charges are slated for a higher court.
