NEW YORK: Winnie Byanyima, the UNAIDS Executive Director and wife of jailed Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, has responded to Kenyan online anger over a photo of her greeting President William Ruto in New York.

Byanyima posted the picture on social media, and the reaction was swift.

Many Kenyans asked how she could pose with Ruto when Kenyan security agencies have been accused of playing a part in Besigye’s abduction from Nairobi in late 2024.

In a written statement, Byanyima said engaging heads of state and global leaders is part of her job.

She described her work as fighting AIDS and Ebola, preparing against future pandemics and pushing for health sovereignty across Africa.

“I hear and respect the strong feelings about my partner @kizzabesigye1. I am at work, meeting governments, business and other leaders to end AIDS and Ebola, prevent future pandemics and advance Africa’s health sovereignty. There is no leader whose hand I will not shake in pursuit of that work,” she said.

Byanyima made clear the meeting did not signal any shift in her position on her husband’s situation.

She said she has evidence that four Ugandan security officials abducted Besigye, and that he is still being held as a prisoner in Uganda.

She used the statement to appeal directly to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to end what she called Besigye’s persecution and free him along with all other political prisoners.

Byanyima also acknowledged the concerns raised by Kenyans about whether their own security agencies had any hand in the abduction.

She said such questions are legitimate in a democracy, adding that Kenyans have every right to demand answers, while Ugandans keep up their own struggle for freedom and democracy.