Xavier Radio Ug News 24 7
KAMPALA — Dr. Kizza Besigye, Uganda’s veteran opposition figure, has now spent 432 consecutive days in detention without conviction, as concerns mount over his deteriorating health and the prolonged pretrial confinement that rights advocates say violates fundamental due process protections.
Besigye was seized in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 16, 2024, in what the Commonwealth Secretary-General later described as an “extraterritorial abduction” that contravened court orders. He was subsequently transferred to Ugandan military custody and charged with treason, illegal possession of a firearm, and threatening national security—charges he has consistently denied.
His wife, Winnie Byanyima, visited him at Luzira Maximum Security Prison last Friday and described him as critically weakened: unable to walk unassisted to the visitors’ reception, clinging to walls for support, and confined to what she characterized as an “oven-hot, dark, bedbug-infested cell.” She reported he had consumed only minimal food over an eight-hour period and accused authorities of deliberately obstructing access to his personal physician and specialized medical care.
“He should not be held in squalid, unhealthy conditions that endanger his recovery and his life,” Byanyima stated in a social media post. “He should be under the care of his family and his personal doctor—not abandoned to neglect behind prison walls.”
The People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), Besigye’s political party, has repeatedly demanded his release on bail for medical treatment, noting he has been denied bail four times despite Uganda’s constitutional presumption of innocence. A recent court application to transfer him to a private hospital was rejected by a judge.
Legal experts note that Uganda’s Constitution guarantees the right to a fair and speedy trial. Article 23(4) states that “a person who is detained shall be brought before a court within forty-eight hours,” while Article 28 enshrines the presumption of innocence. International human rights standards, including the UN Basic Principles on Detention, further stipulate that pretrial detention should be exceptional—not prolonged—and that detainees must receive adequate medical care.
Besigye’s case has drawn attention from regional and international rights bodies. In February 2025, his health faltered during a hunger strike demanding judicial process, prompting temporary suspension of his military trial. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has previously expressed concern about extended pretrial detention in Uganda.
Government spokespersons have not issued recent public statements on Besigye’s medical condition or trial timeline. President Museveni has previously attributed delays to Besigye’s legal team, though court records show multiple adjournments initiated by the prosecution.
As Uganda navigates a tense post-election period—with internet restrictions, suspended civil society organizations, and detained opposition figures—Besigye’s prolonged confinement without verdict has become a focal point for debates about rule of law, separation of powers, and the treatment of political dissent.
Human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called for either his immediate trial or release, emphasizing that no individual should languish in custody for over a year without adjudication of charges—regardless of political affiliation.
Related
