Uganda’s opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye is reported to be in deteriorating health, with Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago warning that the former presidential candidate is now unable to move.
The concerns follow Besigye’s failure to appear before the High Court’s Criminal Division on Monday, where he and co-accused Hajj Obeid Lutale were expected to enter pleas on charges of treason and misprision of treason. The case was adjourned to 1 October after both men were absent.
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Lukwago, who also serves as Besigye’s lawyer, told reporters on Tuesday that he had recently visited Luzira Prison and found the politician in a worrying condition.
“It is sad Besigye is not here,” Lukwago said. “When we went to see him, he was confined to his room and unable to walk. He is not well. According to Hajj Lutale, he has been suffering dizziness, and by yesterday evening, he was not receiving visitors. Let us pray for his recovery.”
Besigye was arrested in Nairobi last November and forcibly returned to Uganda, where he has remained in detention. His health has been fragile since staging a hunger strike in March to protest trial proceedings before a military court. During a court appearance earlier this year, his frailty left many of his supporters visibly shaken.
At Monday’s session, the state informed the court that letters had been received from the accused men—Besigye citing illness, while Lutale claimed he had not been properly notified of the hearing date.
The defence has argued that Besigye’s poor health and objections to the presiding judge, Justice Emmanuel Baguma, make it impossible for him to take part in proceedings. They have formally requested that the judge step aside, citing concerns over impartiality.
Justice Baguma ruled that the matter would be addressed only once all defendants are physically present in court and rescheduled the hearing to 1 October 2025.
Besigye’s lawyers and relatives have renewed calls for him to be transferred to a medical facility, warning that his continued detention under current conditions amounts to “cruel and degrading treatment.”
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