Wife says veteran politician is in critical condition
Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been admitted to intensive care at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, his wife Winnie Byanyima and medical sources said on Thursday.
The 70-year-old has been in custody while facing treason charges over an alleged plot against President Yoweri Museveni.
Condition remains critical
Byanyima said Besigye was unconscious and unresponsive after being taken to hospital on Wednesday evening.
A hospital spokeswoman confirmed his admission but did not provide further details. A medical source described his condition as critical.
Long-running detention
Besigye, a former personal physician to Museveni, has been a leading opposition figure for more than two decades.
He was abducted in neighbouring Kenya in 2024 before being returned to Uganda, where he was initially brought before a military tribunal. His case was later transferred to a civilian court.
Defence team disrupted
Before Besigye was hospitalised, one of his lawyers, former Kampala mayor Erias Lukwago, was arrested, while another lawyer, former Kenyan justice minister Martha Karua, was prevented from entering Uganda.
Besigye has been hospitalised several times since his detention.
UN condemns crackdown
The development comes amid growing criticism of Uganda’s treatment of opposition figures, lawyers and independent media.
UN rights chief Volker Türk accused Ugandan authorities of increasingly targeting dissent and warned of an erosion of the rule of law and shrinking civic space.
The UN said dozens of opposition figures, human rights defenders and journalists have reportedly faced rights violations since Museveni’s re-election in January.
