Ugandan opposition leader Besigye in critical condition, party says
Prison guards wheel Uganda's four-time presidential candidate Kizza Besigye into the court room where he was charged with treason along with his colleague Obeid Lutale and Captain Denis Oola at the Chief Magistrate's Court in Nakawa suburb of Kampala, Uganda on February 21, 2025.
Kampala. Uganda’s opposition People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) has claimed that the health of veteran opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye has deteriorated to a critical level, saying he was rushed from prison to a medical facility under tight security.
In a statement posted on X in the early hours of Tuesday, January 20, the party said it had received what it described as “credible reports” that Dr Besigye had been transferred overnight from Luzira Prison to a medical facility in Kampala.
“The People’s Front for Freedom wishes to inform the public and all supporters of freedom that the health of our leader, Dr Kizza Besigye, has reached a critical and deteriorating state,” the party said, without giving further details about his condition.
PFF claimed that Besigye was taken to a medical facility at Bugolobi Village Mall under heavy security and accused Ugandan authorities of denying him adequate medical care.
“It is tragic that a man who has devoted his life to the health and freedom of others is now being denied his own right to medical dignity,” the statement said, adding that prison authorities and the government should be held fully responsible for his wellbeing.
The party demanded that Besigye’s personal doctors and family be granted immediate and unrestricted access, insisting that his continued detention violates the law.
“He must be released to receive the care he deserves,” the statement added, urging supporters to remain alert and keep him in their prayers.
By press time, prison authorities had not responded to requests for comment, and the claims could not be independently verified.
Dr Besigye, a former personal doctor to President Yoweri Museveni and one of his longest-serving political challengers, has unsuccessfully contested the presidency four times.
He has been in detention for more than 350 days without trial following his arrest after being returned from Nairobi, and is facing treason-related charges.
At their last appearance before the Kampala High Court on December 30, 2025, Besigye and his co-accused, Obed Lutale and Capt Denis Oola, entered not-guilty pleas by court order after declining to plead. The case was adjourned to January 21, 2026, for scheduling.
Last year, Besigye was also reported to be critically ill after staging a hunger strike demanding justice. At the time, President Museveni dismissed the move as political pressure, arguing that prison facilities were capable of providing medical care for all inmates.
