KAMPALA, Uganda – A Ugandan judge has ordered that opposition leader Kizza Besigye be returned to prison despite his deteriorating health following a week-long hunger strike.
Justice Douglas Singiza, presiding over a habeas corpus hearing at the High Court’s Civil Division, directed prison authorities to take Besigye back into custody after observing his frail condition.
“This is an administrative order. If a prisoner is sick, I can’t continue with him. He might faint… Prison authorities, take back Kizza Besigye, we continue with the lawyers,” the judge ruled.
Besigye, who appeared in court alongside co-accused Obeid Lutale, has been on hunger strike since February 11, protesting his detention.
His wife, Winnie Byanyima, who visited him earlier this week, described his condition as dire.
“Besigye is weak, has lost alarming weight, and is dizzy—he hasn’t eaten in five days. This is not just illegal detention; it is kidnapping,” she wrote on X, calling for his immediate release.
@kizzabesigye1 is weak, has lost alarming weight, and is dizzy—he hasn’t eaten in 5 days. This is not just illegal detention, it is kidnapping. I am outraged and demand that @KagutaMuseveni & his son, the army chief, release him immediately. He is a citizen with rights—just like…
The government, however, has dismissed his hunger strike as a political tactic. President Yoweri Museveni labeled it “unprincipled blackmail,” accusing Besigye of using it to generate public sympathy and secure bail.
“How can you be accused of serious crimes and then respond with a hunger strike to generate sympathy for getting bail?” Museveni questioned.
Besigye, a longtime critic of Museveni’s government, was arrested on November 16, 2024, in Nairobi, where he was scheduled to attend the book launch of Kenyan opposition figure Martha Karua.
Days later, he was charged with possession of an illegal firearm before a Ugandan military court—charges he denies.
In January 2025, the military court escalated the case, ruling that Besigye could also be tried for treachery.
However, on January 31, Uganda’s Supreme Court declared the trial of civilians in military courts unconstitutional, casting uncertainty over his prosecution.
His continued detention has sparked condemnation from human rights groups and opposition supporters, who view his imprisonment as politically motivated.
Besigye remains at Luzira Maximum Security Prison as his legal team pushes for his release.
