Mulago doctor arrested for loitering around Besigye ward

• Dr Moses Mukose was arrested after visiting Level Six at Mulago Hospital.

• Security accused him of trying to access the ward where Dr Kizza Besigye is receiving treatment.

• Police released him on bond and ordered him to report back on August 10, 2026.

A doctor was arrested over the weekend after police accused him of attempting to access the heavily guarded ward where detained opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye is receiving treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

Dr Moses Mukose was arrested on Saturday, August 1, after visiting the sixth floor of the hospital, where Besigye has been admitted since collapsing in court last week.

Lawyer Eron Kiiza, who first publicised the incident, said police detained Mukose at Mulago Police Station on allegations of "disobeying lawful orders."

Kiiza said Mukose had gone to the sixth floor to check on his father-in-law, who is admitted on the same floor as Besigye.

"I spoke to Dr Mukose this morning. He said he had simply finished checking on his father-in-law, who is a patient on the same floor as Kizza Besigye," Kiiza said

He alleged that security personnel approached Mukose shortly afterwards and accused him of being sent by People’s Front for Freedom (PPF) member Ingrid Turinawe to spy on security officers guarding Besigye.

"It appears no one is permitted to move freely or be near that floor," Kiiza added.

Turinawe, a longtime ally of Besigye, dismissed the allegations, questioning why a doctor and friend would be prevented from checking on a patient he knows.

"What exactly are they doing to Kizza Besigye to the extent that they are scared of my spies?" she wrote on X.

"Dr Mukose is a colleague and a friend to KB. What stops him from checking on a patient he knows?"

Mukose was released on police bond on Sunday.

A copy of the police bond states that he was released after being accused of "wandering about at Level Six VIP Section of Mulago Hospital." He was ordered to report back to Mulago Police Station on August 10, 2026.

Turinawe mocked the allegation after his release, joking that her "spy" had been granted police bond after being charged with "wondering about Level 6."

Besigye remains under treatment at Mulago after collapsing during his treason trial last week. His admission has been surrounded by tight security, with access to the sixth-floor ward reportedly restricted to authorised personnel.

The former presidential candidate lost consciousness shortly after protesting in court over his trial and legal representation. His wife, Winnie Byanyima, has said doctors are still trying to establish what caused his collapse, while opposition figures have raised concerns about the heavy security presence around his hospital ward.

Police had not publicly commented on Mukose's arrest by the time of publication.