Kizza Besigye, a 70-year-old opposition politician in Uganda, was hospitalized in an intensive care unit after losing consciousness during his treason trial. According to his wife Winnie Byanyima, who heads the UN’s HIV and AIDS agency, Besigye collapsed while objecting to the court’s appointment of state lawyers to represent him. She described him as unconscious and unresponsive, noting that his condition had deteriorated significantly during the court proceedings.
Besigye has been in detention since November 2024 following his dramatic abduction in Kenya. He faces treason charges alongside his aide Obeid Lutale, both denying the allegations. Prosecutors contend that the two men plotted to overthrow President Yoweri Museveni’s government. Treason carries a capital offense designation in Uganda, potentially resulting in a death sentence if Besigye is convicted. The veteran politician has previously run for president against Museveni on four occasions.
The case has been complicated by legal representation challenges. Besigye’s primary lawyer, Erias Lukwago, was detained by the army last month. Martha Karua, a prominent Kenyan attorney serving as another lead counsel, was barred from entering Uganda when she arrived to represent him. During Wednesday’s hearing at the High Court in Kampala, witnesses reported that Besigye repeatedly shouted objections to his legal representation before collapsing. His sister, a physician, was present in court but was not permitted to attend to him immediately.
Besigye is being treated at Mulago National Referral Hospital but has declined care from government medical personnel, with his wife requesting that he receive treatment from his personal physician at a private clinic instead. The ICU ward is under heavy armed guard. His health has been a recurring concern, with previous hospitalizations in February and later in the year following deterioration during a hunger strike protesting his detention. Family members and opposition figures have called for his release on humanitarian and medical grounds, with his son issuing a public appeal to President Museveni and military leadership for mercy.
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