Veteran opposition leader Col (rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye remains in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Mulago National Referral Hospital following his collapse in court earlier this week, sources and political allies have confirmed.
As of Saturday, August 1, 2026, close family members caring for the founder of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) described his health status as deeply worrying, even as heavy security continues to surround the medical facility.
Neither the Mulago Hospital administration nor Uganda Prisons Service officials have issued an official statement regarding his medical condition. When contacted, Mr Frank Baine, Senior Commissioner of Prisons and spokesperson for the Uganda Prisons Service, declined to comment.
PFF leaders blocked from visiting
On Friday evening, a delegation of top PFF leaders was turned away when they attempted to visit the veteran politician at Mulago. The delegation included Deputy Secretary General Harold Kaija, Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura, and the party’s Head of Mobilisation, Ingrid Turinawe.
According to Ms Nyanjura, the Deputy Executive Director of Mulago Hospital, Dr John Ssekabira, informed them that hospital policy strictly prohibits visitors from entering the ICU.
However, Ms Nyanjura strongly criticized the heavy military and police presence stationed around Besigye’s bedside.
“Why should a critically ill, unconscious man in an intensive care unit be subjected to a show of force? This excessive display of guns inside a sacred place of healing is both absurd and deeply inhumane,” Nyanjura said.
Byanyima condemns heavy-handed security
Writing on her official X (formerly Twitter) account on July 31, Dr Besigye’s wife and UNAIDS Executive Director, Dr Winnie Byanyima, revealed that medical doctors are still trying to determine the exact cause of his collapse. She described his state as extremely weak and only partially conscious.
Dr Byanyima also accused prison authorities of denying her the right to participate in medical briefings via phone while traveling back to Uganda.
“Our family received a briefing from the Mulago doctors treating KB. Yet Prison Officer Siima denied me, his next of kin, the right to join the briefing by phone. His reason? He ‘didn’t have permission.’ This is the arrogance of arbitrary power,” Byanyima posted, adding that she was traveling from Rio de Janeiro to be at her husband’s bedside. “Stand aside, Siima. No one will keep me from him.”
In a follow-up post on August 1, Byanyima expressed profound heartbreak over the political situation in the country.
“The pain is immense. In Uganda today, the price of speaking, thinking, or believing differently has become intolerably high. This is not the Uganda we want. It is not the Uganda we deserve,” she wrote.
Collapse followed court protest
Dr Besigye’s medical crisis began on Wednesday when he collapsed inside the dock during court proceedings.
The collapse occurred shortly after he protested the commencement of his trial without legal counsel of his choice. Although the court had appointed state legal representation for him, Besigye informed the judge that he had not been granted sufficient time to consult with them and requested a one-week adjournment to prepare his defence.
The court rejected his plea and ordered the prosecution to proceed, shortly after which Besigye collapsed.
The four-time presidential candidate has been in state custody since November 2024, when he was snatched from Nairobi, Kenya, and brought back to Uganda to face treason charges. He is jointly charged alongside Hajj Obeid Lutale and Captain Denis Oola.
Besigye’s detention has fueled anger among local and international human rights activists, with the Commonwealth calling for his release.
In February, Besigye was briefly hospitalized after going on a hunger strike to protest his detention. In April, Dr Byanyima told rights group Amnesty International that “his health is not that good.”
Besigye has been pressing the government to restore his defence team after his lead attorney, Martha Karua, a Kenyan national, was declared persona non grata. Meanwhile, another senior lawyer on the team, Erias Lukwago, was arrested and charged with misprision of treason. He remains in custody.