Besigye hospitalised after hunger strike worsens health
Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who has been on hunger strike for over a week, was urgently taken to a hospital on Sunday after his health severely deteriorated.
Francis Mwijukye, a lawmaker supporting Besigye, reported on the X platform that the opposition figure was transported to a clinic at Bugolobi Village Mall in Kampala’s Bugolobi suburb, despite heavy security. “Amidst very heavy security deployment, Dr. Besigye has been brought to a clinic at Bugolobi Village Mall,” Mwijukye shared, noting that Besigye was in a wheelchair.
Besigye, a vocal critic of President Yoweri Museveni, has been detained at a high-security facility in Kampala since November, according to Reuters. His arrest followed claims from his lawyers that he was “kidnapped” in Kenya, where he had traveled, and forcibly returned to Uganda. He was subsequently charged in the military’s General Court Martial (GCM) with offenses, including illegal possession of weapons.
In response to legal challenges, Uganda’s Supreme Court ruled last month that trying civilians in military courts was unconstitutional. This led to the government’s decision to expedite Besigye’s case transfer to civilian courts. Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi confirmed this development on Sunday, noting that he visited Besigye at Luzira prison, where he was accompanied by the opposition leader’s personal doctors.
“I have just visited Col Dr. Kiiza Besigye at Luzira prison in the presence of his personal doctors,” Baryomunsi said in a post on X. “I have given him counsel and asked him to resume taking food as the government fast-tracks the transfer of his case from the court martial to a civil court.”
Besigye’s declining health has sparked outrage both within Uganda and internationally. Over the weekend, Ugandans, including opposition leader and pop star Bobi Wine and the Uganda Medical Association, took to social media to demand Besigye’s release and unfettered access to medical care. Public anger grew after Besigye appeared in court on Friday, visibly weakened and struggling to walk and speak. His lawyers, following a visit to his prison last week, warned of his rapidly deteriorating condition.
A four-time presidential candidate, Besigye has been a leading figure in Uganda’s opposition for years, consistently challenging Museveni’s government. His ongoing detention and worsening health have drawn significant attention, raising concerns about political freedoms in Uganda.
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