Veteran Ugandan Opposition Leader Collapses in Court
Last update: July 30, 2026
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Veteran Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye is in intensive care after collapsing in court during his treason trial.
Opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been admitted to intensive care in Kampala after collapsing and losing consciousness during his treason trial.
The 70 year old has been in detention since November 2024. His lead lawyer was arrested last month and charged with allegedly failing to report acts of treason.
Witnesses say Besigye, who looked visibly frail, was objecting to state lawyers being appointed to represent him when he fell. Prison guards then rushed him to hospital.
His wife Winnie Byanyima, who heads UNAIDS, said on X that he is unconscious, unable to speak and unresponsive even to pain stimulus.
Besigye has run for president against Yoweri Museveni four times. He was abducted in Kenya in 2024 and taken back to Uganda. He and his aide Obeid Lutale deny charges that they plotted to overthrow the government, an offence that carries the death penalty.
During Wednesday's hearing at the High Court in Kampala, Besigye repeatedly shouted stop about his legal representation before collapsing. His wife said he cried out that he was being injured and that his sister Olive Kobusingye, who is a doctor, was in court but was not allowed to attend to him at first.
He was taken to Mulago National Referral Hospital but is refusing treatment from government personnel. Byanyima said he will not allow any government official to touch him and wants his personal doctor at a private clinic instead.
The ICU wing is guarded by heavily armed security officers. Reports say his sister has now been allowed to see him.
His lawyer Erias Lukwago is in jail after being seized by the army last month. Prominent Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua was barred from entering Uganda when she flew in to represent him last month.
Calls for his release on medical grounds are growing. His son Adam Ampa appealed to President Museveni and army chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to release his father on humanitarian grounds.
Bobi Wine, who fled Uganda after contesting the January election, said Besigye's appearance in court while clearly unwell was a shocking violation of his most basic rights.
Besigye once served as Museveni's personal doctor before breaking ranks in 1999. He did not contest the 2021 election.
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