Museveni didn't block Besigye mass—information minister Baryomunsi

___________________

The Government has refuted claims by jailed Opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, that President Yoweri Museveni blocked the Holy Mass organised to pray for Besigye and other prisoners.

The Holy Mass at Kampala city-based Rubaga Cathedral, which had been scheduled for 2:00pm on February 23, 2026, flopped, leaving Besigye's family and friends disappointed.

Speaking to journalists later, Byanyima, who serves as UNAIDS executive director, said at a hastily arranged media briefing that Kampala Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere called her on Sunday night and informed her that he had received a phone call from President Yoweri Museveni requesting him to postpone the Mass because he wanted to carry out investigations.

“He (Museveni) said he had learnt that the Mass is political, and he said Dr Besigye is a prisoner and has many things to answer. The archbishop said he didn’t care about the case; he (Besigye) is an innocent man until he is proved guilty, and for him (archbishop), he prays for sinners—everybody,” she quoted the archbishop as saying.

Byanyima said that when the archbishop insisted on holding the Mass, the President responded, “Give me a few days to investigate and then I will come back to you on Friday.”

“I also called the President and requested to talk to him; to give him the assurances he needs that this is indeed a prayer. When you have a problem, you appeal to God. He (Museveni) sent me back a reply that he would call me this morning. This morning again his person called me and said he (Museveni) will speak to me on Wednesday morning,” she said.

However, information minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi, speaking to journalists at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala today, February 24, dismissed Byanyima's claims.



Baryomunsi further dismissed reports made by the European Union's parliament on the just concluded Uganda's presidential elections, which called for investigations into alleged human rights violations, electoral violence and fraud.