Winnie Byanyima has defended her decision to meet President William Ruto in New York despite continued questions over the arrest and detention of her husband, Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye.
Byanyima met Ruto on Wednesday, September 23, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
She said she used the meeting to raise the issue of Besigye, who has remained in detention in Uganda since his arrest in November 2024.
“I also raised the continuing persecution of Kizza Besigye. He was abducted in Nairobi in November 2024, forcibly taken to Uganda and has remained in detention since,” Byanyima said.
Her meeting with Ruto attracted attention from some Kenyans, with questions raised over why she would meet the President while the circumstances surrounding Besigye’s transfer to Uganda remain disputed.
Byanyima, however, said the meeting gave her an opportunity to raise the matter directly with Ruto.
She also said she supports Ruto’s role as the African Union Champion for Local Manufacturing of Medical Products.
Besigye was arrested in Nairobi in November 2024 before being taken to Uganda, where he has been facing treason charges.
His wife and supporters have continued to describe his transfer from Kenya to Uganda as an abduction. Kenyan authorities have previously denied involvement and called for investigations into the matter.
The case has also raised questions over evidence being presented in the Ugandan court.
A prosecution witness, Andrew Wilson, testified in Kampala that two pistols and other items found at a Nairobi apartment were already at the premises as part of an intelligence operation. The defence has challenged parts of the prosecution’s account.
Besigye’s treason trial was also adjourned on Wednesday after state prosecutors failed to appear when the case was called. The hearing was pushed to October 5.
Byanyima has continued to call for her husband’s release and has criticised the Ugandan government’s handling of his case.
She has also urged African leaders to speak out on the matter, saying the rule of law and human rights should be protected.
