KAMPALA, Uganda- Detained Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been admitted to an intensive care unit after collapsing during a court session on Wednesday, with his wife saying he is unconscious and unresponsive.
Besigye, 70, collapsed while appearing before the High Court in Kampala, where he is facing treason charges.
He was rushed from the courtroom by ambulance before being admitted to the intensive care unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
In a post on X early Thursday, his wife, Winnie Byanyima, said her husband was in critical condition.
“He is unconscious, unable to speak, and unresponsive even to a pain stimulus,” she wrote.
Besigye has been in detention since November 2024 after he and his aide, Obeid Lutale, were arrested in Kenya and transferred to Uganda, where they were charged with treason. Both men have denied the allegations.
His lawyers, supporters and human rights organisations have consistently described the charges as politically motivated, arguing that his prolonged detention is part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures under President Yoweri Museveni’s government.
The veteran opposition politician has repeatedly sought bail, but the courts have rejected his applications.
His legal team has also faced setbacks, with senior lawyer Erias Lukwago recently detained and charged with allegedly failing to report acts of treason, while other legal representatives have encountered restrictions.
Besigye’s collapse has sparked renewed calls from his supporters and rights activists for his immediate release, citing concerns over his deteriorating health and access to medical care.
Reports indicate some supporters were initially denied access to see him at the hospital.
Ugandan authorities had not issued an official statement on Besigye’s medical condition at the time of publication, and government officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
