Concerns are mounting over the health of jailed Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye, with his wife, political party, and fellow opposition leaders warning that his condition has deteriorated sharply while in custody.
Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, said her husband is seriously ill after spending months at Luzira Maximum Security Prison, accusing prison authorities of failing to provide adequate medical care.
“They told me that he had been ill since Saturday. He had acute stomach pain, a high temperature and was severely dehydrated. He had refused treatment by prison authorities,” Byanyima said.
She added that Besigye was unable to stand upright, was shaking, and could not walk without support.
“He told me himself. I asked the doctor what was next and whether they would bring him back to the clinic, and they said they didn’t know, that it was an order from above,” she said.
Besigye, a veteran opposition politician and four-time presidential candidate, was briefly taken overnight from prison to a medical facility in Kampala under heavy security before being returned to detention.
The Uganda Prisons Service has since downplayed the incident, saying the hospital visit was for a routine medical check-up.
However, Besigye’s party, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), painted a far more alarming picture, saying his health had reached a critical stage.
“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 in a statement.
PFF said it had received credible reports that Besigye was rushed at night from Luzira Prison to a medical facility at Bugolobi Village Mall under heavy security.
The party accused Ugandan authorities of denying Besigye proper medical care and said his continued detention violated his basic rights.
“It is a tragedy that a man who has dedicated his life to the health and freedom of others is being denied his own right to medical dignity,” the statement said, adding that the party holds “the regime and prison authorities fully accountable for his wellbeing.”
PFF also demanded immediate and unrestricted access for Besigye’s personal doctors and family, insisting he is being held “in total disregard of the law.”
Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, also voiced concern, sharing an image of Besigye in hospital and warning that his condition was worsening.
“It is very sad to hear that Dr Kizza Besigye’s health has continued to deteriorate while in detention, having been denied access to proper medical care,” Bobi Wine said.
Besigye has been in custody since November 2024 on treason-related charges, which he and his supporters say are politically motivated. His detention has drawn criticism from human rights groups and intensified concerns over Uganda’s political climate under President Yoweri Museveni’s long rule.
“We stand fully in solidarity with him and pray for his recovery. Museveni and his criminal regime must never get away with all the suffering they have caused to our nation,” Bobi Wine added.
Despite official assurances, Besigye’s supporters blame his health crisis on prolonged detention and are calling for urgent medical intervention and accountability.