Dr Kiiza Besigye
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Dr Kiiza Besigye has refused to have state provided doctors attend to him, insisting instead that he should only be treated by his personal physician as he battles for his life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Mulago National Referral Hospital after collapsing during his treason trial.
The dramatic standoff over his medical care has added a new dimension to an already highly charged legal battle, with his family and the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) demanding that the veteran opposition leader either be transferred to a private medical facility or be allowed to receive treatment from his personal doctor.
Dr. Besigye, 70, was admitted to Mulago Hospital on the evening of Wednesday, July 29, after collapsing in the dock during proceedings before the High Court in Kampala.
Following the medical emergency, prison authorities initially rushed him to Mbuya Military Hospital before transferring him under heavy security to Mulago National Referral Hospital at around 8:20 p.m., where he was admitted to the ICU.
Byanyima speaks out
According to his wife, Winnie Byanyima, Dr. Besigye arrived at the hospital in critical condition.
“He is unconscious, unable to speak, and unresponsive even to a pain stimulus,” Byanyima said in a social media post, appealing to the public to pray for him while demanding justice.
Despite his condition, Byanyima revealed that her husband had declined treatment from government-employed medical personnel.
“He will not allow any government official to touch him,” she said, explaining that the family wants him attended to by his personal physician at a private clinic rather than by doctors employed by the State.
The ICU ward where Dr. Besigye is receiving treatment has been placed under heavy security, with armed officers guarding access to the unit.
Reports later indicated that his sister, Dr. Olive Kobusingye, who is herself a medical doctor and reportedly part of his preferred medical team, was eventually allowed to see him after earlier being prevented from attending to him immediately after he collapsed in court.
The medical dispute comes against the backdrop of growing concerns about the opposition leader’s deteriorating health after nearly two years in detention.
Dr. Besigye has been in custody since November 2024 after he was abducted in Kenya and returned to Uganda, where he and his aide, Hajji Obeid Lutale, were charged with treason. The two have consistently denied the charges.
Effects of hunger strike
His prolonged detention, coupled with an earlier hunger strike, reportedly left him physically weak, severely dehydrated and suffering from recurring health complications.
The courtroom collapse occurred moments after Dr. Besigye launched an emotional protest against the appointment of state-funded lawyers to represent him in the treason case.
Witnesses said the visibly frail politician repeatedly shouted “stop” as he objected to what he described as an abuse of the law and insisted on his constitutional right to choose advocates of his own preference.
He reportedly banged the dock several times before crying out that he was being injured.
Moments later, he fell backward and lost consciousness, forcing the court to suspend proceedings as prison officers rushed him out in an ambulance.
Before collapsing, Dr. Besigye had urged the court to first determine Application No. 248, which challenges the appointment of state-funded lawyers. He argued that the seriousness of the treason charges required legal counsel with extensive experience in handling major criminal cases.
Justice Simon Kinobe is expected to deliver his ruling on that application on August 13.
Cause of collapse?
The exact cause of Dr. Besigye’s collapse has not yet been officially established.
No independent medical report has been released explaining what caused him to lose consciousness, although supporters point to a combination of physical weakness, prolonged detention and the emotional stress experienced during the court proceedings.
However, some of his political allies have gone further.
PFF member Ingrid Turinawe alleged that security officers restrained Dr. Besigye by chaining his hands and legs while he protested and questioned whether he may have been injected with an unknown substance before collapsing.
“What exactly did they inject him? While he banged tables and protested in court, they invaded him in the dock, chained his hands and legs. In the process of chaining him he continuously shouted ‘you are hurting me.’ Shortly after chaining him, that’s when he collapsed,” Turinawe claimed.
Those allegations remain unverified, and neither the judiciary, security agencies nor medical authorities have confirmed them.
