Besigye supporters to march to Chief Justice office in protest

Supporters of jailed opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye are preparing to take their campaign to the streets of Kampala, days after activists in neighbouring Kenya marched to demand his release.

The People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) has notified police of a peaceful procession scheduled for Monday, September 14, 2026. The party plans to march from its headquarters on Katonga Road to the office of the Chief Justice.

The procession will start at 11am and culminate in the delivery of a petition over the continued detention and denial of bail on medical grounds for Besigye and lawyer Erias Lukwago.

PFF Deputy Secretary General Kennedy Okello formally notified the Inspector General of Police in a September 7 letter.

“We look forward to your cooperation and further engagement in enabling this scheduled procession proceed safely and peacefully,” the party wrote.

PFF leader Ingrid Turinawe also confirmed that police had been notified.

“We expect Uganda police to behave and not to be violent against peaceful citizens,” Turinawe wrote on X on Tuesday.

She accompanied the message with calls to “Free Besigye”, “Free Lukwago” and “Free all political prisoners”.

PFF interim executive chairman Dr Lulume Bayiga said the party decided to march after attempts to meet the Chief Justice over the detention of its members failed.

He said the petition would focus on granting bail to detainees whose medical conditions require treatment outside prison.

The planned Kampala procession follows demonstrations in Nairobi on September 3, where about 30 Kenyan activists marched through the city centre demanding Besigye's release and medical evacuation.

They delivered petitions to Kenya's Interior and Foreign Affairs ministries.

The Kenyan activists gave their government seven days to act and threatened to escalate their campaign if their demands were ignored.

They argue that Kenya bears responsibility because Besigye and his aide Obeid Lutale were seized in Nairobi in November 2024 before being transferred to Uganda.

Besigye's health has become a major focus of campaigns for his release.

He collapsed during a High Court hearing on July 29 and was admitted to Mulago National Referral Hospital. He has since received further treatment at the Joint Clinical Research Centre.

His wife, Winnie Byanyima, has maintained that he remains weak and struggles to walk, speak and write. She wants authorities to allow him to travel to Geneva, Switzerland, for specialised treatment.

Uganda Prisons Service says Besigye is stable and that his medical care follows recommendations from specialists. �