By Concern continues to surround the health of veteran opposition politician and four-time presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye days after he collapsed during proceedings at the High Court in Kampala, where he is facing treason charges.
Besigye was rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital after the incident, which temporarily halted court proceedings as prison warders and medical personnel carried him from the courtroom into an ambulance.
According to his wife, Winnie Byanyima, Besigye was admitted to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in a critical condition. She said he was unconscious, unable to speak and unresponsive after the collapse, adding that moments before losing consciousness he cried out that he was being injured. Family members also raised concerns over delays in allowing his sister, Dr Hope Kobusingye, who is also his personal physician, access to attend to him.
Several days after the incident, no official medical update has been released confirming whether Besigye has been discharged from the Intensive Care Unit or detailing the cause of his collapse. Public information on his condition remains limited, while his wife and members of his legal and political team have continued to express concern over his health and access to medical care. Government authorities have yet to issue a detailed medical statement on his condition.
The circumstances surrounding the collapse remain unclear. While members of Besigye’s legal team and supporters have questioned what transpired in the courtroom before he lost consciousness, no official findings have linked the incident to any specific cause.
Besigye has been in detention since November 2024 and is jointly charged with treason alongside Capt. Denis Oola (Rtd) and Hajji Obeid Lutale. The case continues to draw widespread public attention, with his lawyers maintaining that his constitutional rights should be upheld, including access to appropriate medical care and legal representation. Human rights organisations have also continued to call for due process as the case progresses.
As investigations into the incident continue, the absence of a detailed medical update has fuelled public interest and renewed debate over the treatment, welfare and medical care of detainees facing high-profile prosecutions.
