KAMPALA, Uganda — A well-known opposition leader currently incarcerated in Uganda due to allegations of endangering state security is reported to be in poor health and urgently requires medical attention, according to his lawyer on Thursday.
Kizza Besigye, who has contended for the presidency four times, has been imprisoned since his detention in Kenya on November 16. His lawyer, Erias Lukwago, stated that Besigye is suffering from serious health issues, including episodes of hypertension.
Besigye, aged 68, is facing charges in a military court in Kampala, which include illegal possession of a firearm and threats to national security. Additionally, he is confronting a serious charge of treachery, a military offense that carries the possibility of the death penalty.
Lukwago visited Besigye on Wednesday at the maximum-security prison in Kampala, where he is currently held. The lawyer emphasized that Besigye requires specialized medical care that the prison health system cannot provide.
The military trial has sparked outrage among Besigye’s supporters and raised alarms for human rights organizations. Amnesty International has called for his release, arguing that his abduction was a clear violation of international human rights standards and failed to honor the necessary legal protections related to extradition.
Recently, Uganda’s Supreme Court determined that civilians should not be subjected to military trials, critiquing the ability of untrained military personnel to administer justice effectively. However, President Yoweri Museveni, who has maintained a tight grip on power since 1986, expressed his disagreement with the court’s ruling and stated that the nation is not governed by judicial decisions.
Lukwago and fellow activists are attempting to secure Besigye’s freedom based on this Supreme Court ruling; yet, prison officials maintain that they have not received any directive for his release.
Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, who heads UNAIDS, claimed that her husband is on a hunger strike, a statement that prison authorities have challenged.
Throughout his political journey, Besigye has endured numerous arrests and assaults, yet has never been convicted.
Besigye’s ongoing situation is being closely monitored by a populace that is increasingly wary of the political landscape ahead of the upcoming presidential elections next year. While Museveni is anticipated to run for reelection, some analysts speculate that he might choose to step down.
There is widespread uncertainty regarding the political transition, as Museveni does not appear to have a clear successor within the ruling National Resistance Movement party.
Besigye, a qualified doctor who retired from the military at the rank of colonel, previously led the Forum for Democratic Change party, the principal opposition entity in Uganda. He has been a staunch critic of Museveni, for whom he once worked as a military aide and personal physician.
