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Ugandan authorities readmitted opposition figure Kizza Besigye to the hospital late Friday as his health continues to deteriorate while in state custody.
Besigye, 70, a former personal physician to President Yoweri Museveni who turned political rival over 25 years ago, faces treason charges.
His wife, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima, revealed on social media platform X that prison officials moved him “after dark” for his fourth hospital stay since his arrest.
After dark, Dr @kizzabesigye1 was moved from Luzira Prison to JCRC hospital today.
He is still very weak. He struggles to walk, speak, write or even hold anything steadily.
I am asking for one thing – let me bring him home to Geneva for proper medical care, surrounded by his…
— Winnie Byanyima (@Winnie_Byanyima) August 28, 2026
She detailed his severe physical decline, writing, “He is still very weak. He struggles to walk, speak, write or even hold anything steadily.”
Security forces originally abducted Besigye in neighbouring Kenya in November 2024 before extraditing him to Uganda to face trial for allegedly plotting against Museveni.
After an initial arraignment in a military court, officials transferred his case to a civilian court.
His medical condition has repeatedly disrupted proceedings; he fainted during a court hearing in late July, spent time in intensive care, and returned to prison on August 8 against medical advice.
Byanyima sharply condemned the government’s actions as a deliberate campaign to destroy her husband’s health.
“Why drag a sick man from place to place? Why deny him the care of his family? Why force a trial on a man too ill to defend himself?” she wrote, adding, “He needs care, not cruelty. This is not justice. It is persecution.”
The incident highlights mounting political repression in Uganda, where military forces under the leadership of Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, regularly detain opposition politicians and legal defenders.
