Ugandan Opposition Leader Kizza Besigye Returned to Prison Amid Health Concerns
Kampala, Uganda – February 14, 2025
Detained Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye, who has been on a hunger strike for a week, has been returned to prison after spending a night in a private health clinic, his allies have confirmed.
The 68-year-old was reportedly rushed to the medical facility in a prison ambulance as his health deteriorated, according to his lawyer, Erias Lukwago.
Charges and Military Trial Controversy
Besigye faces serious charges in a military court, including:
- Illegal possession of a firearm
- Threatening national security
- Treachery – a charge that carries the death penalty
He denies all accusations.
His detention has sparked legal and political controversy, especially after Uganda’s Supreme Court ruled last month that civilians should not be tried in military courts. However, President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, dismissed the ruling as a “wrong decision” and vowed to challenge it.
Government’s Response & Family Concerns
Uganda’s Information Minister, Chris Baryomunsi, visited Besigye in prison and urged him to end his hunger strike, assuring that the government was working to transfer his case from a military tribunal to a civil court.
Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, criticized the visit, calling it “highly suspicious.”
“As a government minister, you are not a concerned visitor – you are his captor,” she wrote on X, warning that the government would be held responsible for any harm that comes to him.
On Sunday night, Besigye was seen being wheeled into a clinic under heavy security, according to lawmaker Francis Mwijukye. He has since been taken back to prison after undergoing medical tests, his political aide Harold Kaija confirmed.
Health Concerns & Calls for Release
Besigye appeared frail in a separate court appearance on Friday. Following this, Uganda’s medical doctors’ association has called for his immediate release on health grounds.
The veteran politician, who has run for president four times, was abducted in Kenya last November and taken back to Uganda to face military prosecution. He has long accused the Museveni-led government of political persecution.
