Uganda Prisons has broken its silence on circulating allegations that opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye is being subjected to inhumane detention conditions at Luzira Upper Maximum Security Prison.
In a statement issued on Friday, prisons described the claims largely advanced by opposition leaders and Besigye’s family as false, baseless, and misleading. The service urged the public to disregard what it called deliberate misinformation.
“The claim that the facility is infested with bed bugs used as a torture tool against him is grossly false. Also, the assertion that he shares a ward with 15 others and yet is in permanent isolation is contradictory,” said Frank Baine Mayanja, the UPS spokesperson and Senior Commissioner of Prisons.
He further noted that the allegations lack consistency and a factual basis.
“The public is urged to disregard this misinformation and disinformation,” Baine emphasised.
The statement follows recent remarks by Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, who held a press conference at their Kasangati home on Thursday, during which she voiced serious concerns about her husband’s well-being and treatment in detention.
Byanyima claimed that Besigye is being kept in a dark, unhygienic cell, isolated from fellow inmates, and exposed to harsh living conditions.
While UPS refrained from commenting on the legal aspects surrounding Besigye’s incarceration, it reiterated its commitment to professional prison management in line with both Ugandan law and international standards.
“UPS reaffirms its position as a professional government agency mandated to manage prisoners in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Uganda and the Nelson Mandela Rules,” Baine said.
UPS insisted that all inmates, regardless of their political affiliation or public standing, are treated with dignity and respect as prescribed by law.
