The Uganda Prisons Service has refuted reports suggesting that opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye was rushed to hospital overnight in critical condition, saying the visit was part of a routine medical check-up.
Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine Mayanja confirmed that Besigye saw his doctor at night but that his health is stable.
“The hospital visit was part of Besigye’s routine monthly medical check-up. He has since returned to Luzira Prison and is continuing with his normal daily activities,” Baine said.
The clarification comes after the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) raised concerns over Besigye’s health while in detention. In a statement, the party said it had received “credible reports” indicating that Besigye was allegedly transported late at night from Luzira Prison to a medical facility at Bugolobi Village Mall under heavy security.
“It is a tragedy that a man who has dedicated his life to the health and freedom of others is now being denied his own right to medical dignity,” the PFF statement read.
“We hold the regime and prison authorities fully accountable for his well-being.”
The party demanded that Besigye’s personal doctors and family be granted immediate and unrestricted access to him. It also called for his release so that he can receive proper medical care.
“He must be freed to receive the care he deserves,” the statement added.
Besigye, along with Obeid Lutale and Capt. Denis Oola, is facing charges related to alleged treasonous activities. According to the official charge sheet, the trio was reportedly abducted in Nairobi in 2024 after attending a book launch hosted by Kenyan politician Martha Karua.
Prosecutors claim that the group later travelled to Switzerland, Greece, and Kenya, attending both physical and virtual meetings allegedly aimed at plotting the overthrow of the Ugandan government, in collaboration with operatives in Geneva, Athens, Nairobi, and Kampala.
The three are also accused of failing to report knowledge of these alleged activities between 2023 and November 2024, contrary to Ugandan law.