Besigye rushed to hospital as health deteriorates in detention

KAMPALA, Uganda

Veteran Ugandan opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye was rushed overnight from Luzira Maximum Security Prison to a medical facility at Bugolobi Village Mall in Kampala amid reports that his health has reached a critical and deteriorating state, his political movement said on Tuesday.

The People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) said credible reports indicate the transfer was conducted under heavy security and called on authorities to grant Dr Besigye’s family and personal doctors immediate and unrestricted access to him.

“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 PFF statement said, holding the regime and prison authorities fully accountable for his well‑being.

Dr Besigye, 68, has been in custody since November 2024 after he was abducted in Nairobi, Kenya, during a visit and taken to Uganda.

He was charged with treason and related offences--charges his supporters and human rights groups say are politically motivated.

He was first taken to a military court, despite being a civilian, and later the treason case was moved to civilian courts after a Supreme Court ruling that trying civilians in military courts is unconstitutional.

Dr Besigye has appeared in court multiple times since his arrest.

His lawyers have repeatedly raised concerns about the legality of his detention and its impact on his health.

Reports from his detention period describe Dr Besigye as frail--including scenes in court where he appeared struggling to breathe--raising longstanding concerns about his condition.

PFF’s latest appeal underscores fears that his health may worsen without proper medical care and immediate access for relatives and specialist physicians.

The party is urging the government to remove barriers to family contact and clinical oversight, saying restricting access to those close to him undermines his right to health and dignity.

As of this report, Uganda Prisons Service had not publicly commented on the details of Dr Besigye’s condition or the transfer.