Besigye reportedly rushed to hospital

Fresh concern about the health of Col (Rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye has emerged following reports that he was rushed to hospital overnight in a worrying condition.

His party, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) announced on Tuesday morning that Besigye was rushed to a medical facility at Bugolobi Village Mall from Luzira Prison under heavy security after his health reportedly deteriorated sharply.

In a message posted online, the party said Besigye’s condition had reached a “critical” stage and urged the government to allow his personal doctors and family immediate, unrestricted access. 

​”We have received credible reports that Dr. Besigye was rushed in the night from Luzira Prison to a medical facility at Bugolobi Village Mall under heavy security,” the message reads in part.

“It is a tragedy that a man who has dedicated his life to the health and freedom of others is being denied his own right to medical dignity. We hold the regime and the prison authorities fully accountable for his well-being.”

At the time of writing, the Uganda Prisons Service had made no public comment on the latest reports. The PFF statement decried what it called a denial of Besigye’s “right to medical dignity” and appealed for prayers and vigilance from compatriots.

Dr. Besigye, 68, a long-time critic of President Yoweri Museveni and four-time presidential contender, was arrested in Nairobi in November 2024 and brought back to Uganda, where he has been facing treason and related charges. The handling of his arrest and detention has attracted domestic and international criticism.

Earlier this year, while in Luzira Maximum Security Prison, Besigye’s health also raised alarm after he began a hunger strike to protest what his legal team described as illegal and prolonged detention. 

Reports indicate he suffered visibly deteriorating health during that period, leading to a brief hospitalisation in February following a frail and weakened appearance in court.

Human rights advocates and medical professionals have repeatedly urged the authorities to allow Besigye access to his personal physicians and better medical facilities, but those calls have so far gone largely unanswered.