Kizza Besigye, a prominent Ugandan opposition leader, is in intensive care after collapsing during a court hearing in Kampala on Wednesday, according to his wife, Winnie Byanyima. The incident has intensified concerns about his health and the conditions of his detention.
Collapse in Court
Witnesses at the High Court in Kampala reported that Besigye repeatedly shouted “stop” regarding his legal representation before collapsing. His wife stated that “before he collapsed, he cried out that he was being injured.” She also noted that Besigye’s sister, Olive Kobusingye, a doctor, was present in court but was not permitted to attend to him.
Besigye was subsequently transferred to Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda’s largest public hospital. However, he has refused treatment from government medical personnel. Byanyima said, “He will not allow any government official to touch him,” and she has demanded that he be allowed to receive care from his personal physician at a private clinic instead.
Security and Legal Challenges
The intensive care unit where Besigye is being treated is guarded by heavily armed security officers. Reports indicate that his sister, who also serves as his personal doctor, has now been allowed to see him.
Besigye’s legal team has faced significant obstacles. His main lawyer, Erias Lukwago, is currently in jail after being seized by the army last month. Another lead lawyer, Kenyan Martha Karua, was barred from entering the country when she flew in to represent him last month.
Family Appeals for Mercy
Besigye’s son, Adam Ampa, has made a public appeal to President Yoweri Museveni and his son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who serves as Uganda’s army chief, to release his father on humanitarian grounds. In an open letter shared on social media on Wednesday, Ampa wrote, “Regardless of politics, no son should have to witness his father reach such a state while standing before the very law he served and dedicated his life.”
Bobi Wine, a Ugandan opposition politician who fled the country fearing for his life after contesting the January presidential election, described Besigye’s appearance in court while clearly unwell as a “shocking violation of his most basic rights.”
Background
Besigye once served as Museveni’s personal doctor before breaking ranks with him in 1999. In recent years, he has been less active in politics and did not contest the 2021 election. His current condition and the circumstances surrounding his detention have drawn renewed attention to the treatment of opposition figures in Uganda.