Uganda Besigye Hospitalised After Court Emergency

Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye has been admitted to an intensive care unit after collapsing during his treason trial in Kampala, according to his wife, Winnie Byanyima.

The 70-year-old politician lost consciousness while appearing before the High Court on Wednesday and was rushed from the courtroom in an ambulance. In a post on X early Thursday, Byanyima said Besigye was receiving treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital and remained in a critical condition.

“He is unconscious, unable to speak, and unresponsive even to a pain stimulus,” Byanyima wrote, describing his condition after he was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit.

Government spokesperson Alan Kasujja did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment, and authorities had not issued an official update on Besigye’s condition at the time of reporting.

Besigye has been in detention since November 2024 after he and his aide, Obeid Lutale, were arrested in neighbouring Kenya and returned to Uganda. The two men were subsequently charged with treason, charges they have both denied.

His lawyers and supporters insist the case is politically motivated, arguing that his continued detention forms part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures under President Yoweri Museveni’s administration.

Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for decades, was declared the winner of the country’s most recent presidential election in January. The result was rejected by runner-up Bobi Wine, who later left Uganda and is now living in exile in the United States.

Besigye’s collapse and subsequent admission to intensive care are expected to intensify scrutiny of his detention and the treatment of opposition leaders in Uganda.

SOURCE: Reuters