Col. (Rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye was discharged from Mulago National Referral Hospital and returned to Luzira Prisons Hospital on August 7, 2026, after a 10-day admission, the Uganda Prisons Service has said.
In a statement dated August 11, 2026, prisons spokesperson Frank Baine said Besigye is continuing with treatment under the care of the UPS medical team.
“The Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) medical team is fully in charge as he continues with treatment and his health condition is steadily improving,” Mr Baine said.
He added that Besigye’s immediate family members and personal doctors are being allowed access to him.
“His immediate family members and personal doctors are having due access to him,” the statement reads.
Mr Baine also urged the public to disregard reports circulating about Besigye’s health.
“UPS urges the public to disregard misinformation and disinformation regarding his whereabouts and apparent worrying health condition,” he said.
Backgrround
Tensions flared last Friday night following the sudden transfer of ailing veteran opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye from Mulago National Referral Hospital back to Luzira Prison, drawing sharp condemnation from his family and political associates.
The four-time presidential candidate, who collapsed in court 10 days before, was reportedly taken from the hospital’s High Dependency Unit (HDU) shortly after 7:00 PM by security personnel, despite concerns raised by his doctors and family over his fragile health.
The transfer sparked outrage, with his family and opposition figures accusing the government of risking his life by overriding medical advice.
“Shocked and distressed”
Writing on X (formerly Twitter) late Friday evening, Dr Besigye’s wife, Ms Winnie Byanyima, described the ordeal as cruel, questioning the rationale behind returning a helpless patient to a facility ill-equipped to care for him.
‘I am shocked and deeply distressed. After 7pm tonight, my partner Kizza Besigye was bundled up and taken back to Luzira Prison,’ Ms. Byanyima posted. ‘When I left KB at 4:30pm, he still could not walk or talk. At lunch, I fed him soft food with a spoon because his arms and hands remain very weak. He cannot yet care for himself.’
Ms. Byanyima detailed that prison officials had previously acknowledged Luzira’s inability to support Dr. Besigye’s required rehabilitation programme during a joint meeting with doctors from Mulago Hospital and his personal physician. According to her, the official recommended he remain hospitalized at Mulago.
However, she noted that the situation turned dramatically following a morning visit by the Minister for Health, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi.
‘We believed medical judgment would prevail. We were wrong. Today, after Minister Chris Baryomunsi visited, everything changed. An order came to remove Kizza Besigye from Mulago and return him to Luzira, against the recommendation we had heard from the prisons official,’ she added. ‘Taking a helpless patient from where he can receive rehabilitation… and returning him to a prison that cannot support his condition, is cruel.’
Ms Byanyima also rejected Minister Baryomunsi’s presence at the bedside, asserting that he “imposed himself on him again” without an invitation.
Clash over medical status
Earlier on Friday morning, Dr. Baryomunsi posted on X indicating that the opposition figure was on the mend.
‘I paid a visit to Dr. Kizza Besigye today morning at Mulago Hospital, where he is hospitalised. He is steadily recuperating and I wished him quick recovery. I thank the team of Medical workers that are attending to him,’ Dr. Baryomunsi stated.
His account starkly contradicted statements from both Dr. Besigye’s family and his political platform, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF).
In a statement issued on Friday evening, the PFF condemned the transfer, characterising it as a “forcible evacuation” carried out under secrecy by armed prison and military personnel.
‘Ten days after his medical collapse in court, Dr. Besigye has still not fully regained consciousness. He remains in a critical condition unable to speak, walk or receive the specialized care required for his recovery,’ the PFF statement read in part.
The party accused the government of deliberately concealing Dr. Besigye’s health status and demanded his immediate release and transfer abroad for specialized life-saving treatment.
‘Rather than facilitating his immediate transfer to an advanced medical facility capable of managing his severe condition, the regime has chosen to abduct a critically ill patient from a hospital bed under the cover of secrecy,’ the statement added, holding the Ugandan government, the Uganda Prisons Service, and the military collectively accountable for his safety.
Growing concerns
Dr. Besigye’s health woes follow weeks of intense legal and political friction. His detention and subsequent medical emergency have once again put Uganda’s human rights record and treatment of political prisoners under a global spotlight.
By press time, neither the Uganda Prisons Service spokesperson nor police had issued an official statement clarifying who authorized the transfer or responding to allegations that medical advice was bypassed.
Dr Besigye has been in continuous custody/remand, having been abducted on November 16, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya, before being brought to Uganda.
He’s charged with treason and misprision of treason, alongside his aide Hajj Obeid Lutale and UPDF Captain Denis Oola.
The state accuses him of plotting to overthrow the Government of Uganda between 2023 and November 2024 through meetings allegedly convened across multiple international cities (including Nairobi, Geneva, and Athens) and Kampala.
When he was first presented before the General Court Martial in November 2024, he faced military charges related to security and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition (two pistols). However, after the Supreme Court ruled against trying civilians in military courts, the matter was moved to the civilian High Court, where formal treason charges were laid in February 2025.
The treason trial officially commenced in the High Court Criminal Division. However, the defense has repeatedly raised objections over the denial of counsel of choice, following the arrest/disbarment of lead defense lawyers.
During court proceedings on July 29, 2026, Dr. Besigye collapsed in the courtroom after protesting being forced to proceed with state-appointed lawyers. He was subsequently rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital, where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).