Dr Kizza Besigye. Photo/Courtesy
Veteran Ugandan opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye remains in detention in Luzira Maximum Security Prison as concerns over his health and treatment mount, with fresh claims from a US‑based Ugandan journalist alleging a direct threat to his life.
Recent social media statements by Remmy Bahati warn that Besigye is “unable to speak” and “losing his memory,” renewing calls for his immediate humanitarian release and urgent medical care.
"Folks, I hate to be the bearer of terrible news, but according to a trusted source there has been an attempt on the life of Dr. Kizza Besigye."
As we speak, he is reportedly unable to speak and is losing his memory. Kizza Besigye is a political prisoner, not a convicted criminal. He should not be subjected to prolonged detention under these conditions. I call for his immediate release on humanitarian grounds and urgent access to proper medical care," the Journalist stated on X.
Besigye, 69, has been held since November 2024, when he was reportedly abducted in Nairobi and flown back to Uganda where he was first charged by a military court with serious offences including treason and unlawful possession of weapons.
Rights groups and legal experts criticised the process as unlawful, especially after Uganda’s Supreme Court ruled on 31 January 2025 that civilians cannot be tried in military courts. Despite that ruling, his detention has continued.
His transfer to a civilian court followed sustained legal and public pressure, but he remains remanded on treason and related charges, which his supporters say are politically motivated to silence dissent amid Uganda’s contested political climate.
Health concerns first surged in early 2025 when Besigye embarked on a hunger strike to protest prolonged detention without a lawful remand warrant, prompting a temporary hospital transfer amid visible deterioration in his condition.
In recent weeks, his wife Winnie Byanyima said his health remains “worrying,” citing symptoms including high temperature, severe leg pain, limited food intake and inability to walk.
She also claimed prison authorities denied access to his private doctor and confined him in difficult conditions, which she warned could cost his life.
The Ugandan government has in the recent past offered a different narrative; Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi said Besigye had recovered from a minor illness and was stable, a claim rejected by his family and party.
Bahati’s latest statement frames Besigye as a political prisoner, not a convicted criminal, and insists that his continued detention under deteriorating conditions is tantamount to a threat on his life.
The call for his release adds to mounting demands from human rights advocates and regional figures who have continued to argue that his detention undermines the rule of law and respect for human rights in Uganda