- Kizza Besigye’s health deteriorated while in detention, prompting his PFF party to demand urgent medical attention
- The PFF accused President Yoweri Museveni’s government of denying Besigye proper medical care when he was in a critical condition
- Besigye was remanded in custody in November 2024 after being charged with treason, days after he was reportedly kidnapped in Nairobi
The opposition party of UgandaPeople’s Front for Freedom (PFF), has confirmed that its leader, Kizza Besigye, is seriously ill.
Source: Facebook
The PFF said it has received credible information that Besigye was rushed from Luzira Prison to a medical facility at Bugolobi Village Mall under heavy security on Tuesday morning, January 19.
Is Kizza Besigye terminally ill?
“The People’s Front for Freedom wants to inform the public and all supporters of freedom that the health of our leader, Dr. Kizza Besigye, has reached a serious and worsening condition,” PFF said in a statement.
The party accused President Yoweri Museveni’s government of denying Besigye proper medical care, citing his continued detention regardless of his health.
“It is a tragedy that a man who has dedicated his life to the health and freedom of others is being denied his right to dignified treatment. We hold the government and prison authorities fully accountable for his well-being,” the statement added.
The PFF further demanded that Besigye’s family and his personal doctors be granted immediate and unrestricted access to him.
The party condemned the arrest of the leader as illegal and urged his followers to keep him in prayer and stay awake.
Source: Facebook
Why was Kizza Besigye arrested?
Besigye, a former presidential candidate and strong critic of Museveni, has been in detention since November 16, 2024.
He was reportedly kidnapped in Nairobi and later brought before a military court in Kampala, where he faced treason-related charges.
Despite denying the charges, he was remanded in custody at Luzira Prison when concerns about his health began to spark outrage.
Meanwhile, during previous court appearances, Besigye’s supporters claimed that his health was weak, a concern that was echoed by his lawyers. He also stopped eating early in 2025.
However, Museveni was undeterred, dismissing his actions as ‘unprincipled betrayal’ aimed at eliciting sympathy from the public.
The President emphasized that there was a hospital in the prison where the opposition leader and his prisoners could receive treatment if they fell ill.
Did Museveni regret the detention of Besigye?
In previous statements, Museveni said that he regrets the continued detention of Besigye and blamed his lawyers for postponing his trial.
He said that Besigye’s team had submitted several reports that made the work of judges difficult despite their willingness to hear the case and close it.
The president’s allies claimed that Museveni did not arrest Besigye, who was previously his doctor, and insisted that he had no problems with him.
They urged his lawyers to stop blocking the process despite public concerns about releasing the leader on bail.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
