Key facts
- Detained Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye is unconscious and in intensive care.
- Besigye collapsed in court on Wednesday during his treason trial.
- His wife, Winnie Byanyima, confirmed his condition and stated he is unresponsive.
- He is currently at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala.
- Besigye has been in custody since November 2024.
Prominent Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye collapsed in court on Wednesday and is now unconscious and in intensive care, according to his wife, Winnie Byanyima. Besigye, 70, was taken to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala after his collapse during a treason trial. Byanyima, who also leads the UN AIDS programme UNAIDS, stated on X that her husband was unresponsive to stimuli. Besigye has been in custody since November 2024, having been dramatically abducted in Kenya with his aide Obeid Lutale before being repatriated to Uganda and charged with treason. Prosecutors allege Besigye and his co-accused plotted to overthrow President Museveni's government, a capital offence. Lawyers, supporters, and rights activists contend that the charges against Besigye are politically motivated. Besigye's son, Adam Ampa, appealed to President Museveni and his son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to release his father on humanitarian grounds. Opposition politician Bobi Wine described Besigye's appearance in court while clearly unwell as a "shocking violation of his most basic rights."