In brief
In a dramatic turn, 70‑year‑old opposition veteran Kija Besigye fell unconscious in the High Court in Kampala while challenging the assignment of state lawyers for his defense. He was transferred to Mulago National Referral Hospital’s ICU, where security guards and armed officers guard his ward. Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, heads the UN AIDS agency and posted that he can no longer speak or respond to pain and refused treatment from government officials, demanding his own personal doctor attend. Besigye, who has been detained since November 2024 following his arrest in Kenya and subsequent charges of treason, had his lead lawyer seized by the army and another prominent lawyer barred from entering Uganda. Human rights groups and opposition figures rally for his release on medical grounds after multiple prior hospital admissions, including a private clinic visit during a hunger strike.
Kija Besigye Collapses During Trial, Sent to ICU
The veteran opposition figure collapsed in court, forcing his wife, Winnie Byanyima—head of the UN AIDS agency—to declare him unconscious and in the intensive care unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Besigye, 70, has been held since November 2024 after being arrested in Kenya and accused of treason along with his aide. During Wednesday’s hearing, witnesses report he shouted “stop” at the appointment of government lawyers before losing consciousness. Prison guards rushed him to an ambulance and then to the ICU, where he is guarded by armed officers.
The opposition leader’s wife said he will not allow any government official to touch him and demanded that his personal doctor, his sister Dr. Olive Kobusingye, provide care. The ICU environment remains heavily secured.
Besigye’s primary lawyer, Erias Lukwago, now sits in jail after the army seized him, and another high‑profile lawyer, Kenyan Martha Karua, was barred from entering Uganda last month. Human rights organisations and supporters have called for his release on medical grounds.
This marks several hospital visits: in February 2025 he was taken to a private clinic during a hunger strike, and earlier this year he had a brief stay in a public hospital. Former chief of Museveni’s personal medical staff and now a political adversary, Besigye has been less active in recent years, missing the 2021 election.
