Xavier Radio Ug News 24 7
Hundreds of supporters of detained Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye held a defiant prayer service inside a Catholic cathedral on Monday, pressing authorities to free him after more than a year without trial on treason charges, as concerns mount over his failing health.
The service at Lubaga Cathedral in Kampala was meant to be a holy mass presided over by the Archbishop of Kampala, Paul Ssemogerere. Instead, attendees arrived to find the official service postponed — a decision they attribute directly to President Yoweri Museveni .
Winnie Byanyima, Besigye’s wife and executive director of UNAIDS, addressed the gathered crowd from the pews, revealing that the archbishop had personally informed her of the president’s intervention.
“I was called here yesterday by the Archbishop, His Grace, Paul Ssemogerere, and he told me that he had received a call from President Museveni asking him to cancel the mass,” Byanyima told attendees .
According to Byanyima, the archbishop attempted to persuade the president to allow the service to proceed, explaining that prayer for family members — including those imprisoned — was a Catholic tradition, particularly during the season of Lent. The couple was married in the same cathedral years ago .
“He pleaded with him not to cancel the mass. The Archbishop explained to him that this is Catholic tradition, he told him that we were married here, and we were prayed for, and that I came to ask for prayers for him in a period of Lent, and that that’s the tradition — to pray for our family intentions,” Byanyima said .
The president ultimately requested a postponement pending an investigation into whether the event was political in nature .
The chancellor of the archdiocese, Pius Male, offered a more circumspect explanation to The Associated Press, stating the archbishop sought a postponement “because there were issues which were still being discussed so that may have harmony.” He provided no further details .
Defiance in the cathedral
Despite the absence of clergy, those inside Lubaga Cathedral refused to disperse. Led by Byanyima, the congregation sang hymns and prayed — transforming what was to be an official mass into an impromptu gathering of solidarity .
“So we are here and unable to have the Mass that we wanted because of the order of our president,” Byanyima told the crowd. “I would like that we still pray because we came to pray” .
The event, the first of its kind in support of Besigye, drew politicians from various opposition parties .
Sandor Walusimbi, a spokesperson for the presidency, did not respond to requests for comment .
Ailing health and denied bail
Besigye, 69, has sometimes appeared in court in a wheelchair and has been repeatedly denied bail, even as many Ugandans urge compassion on medical grounds. His trial is yet to formally start .
Those urging Besigye’s release point to his age and say he needs to consult with a doctor of his choice, rather than the government-appointed medics available at the maximum-security facility where he is held .
Byanyima has previously described her husband’s condition as “worrying,” citing symptoms including high temperature, stomach pain, dehydration, and inability to walk. She has accused prison authorities of denying him access to specialized medical care .
In January, Besigye’s party, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), described his health as having “reached a critical and deteriorating state” after he was taken overnight to a medical facility in Kampala under heavy security .
Prison authorities have consistently denied that Besigye’s health is critical. Frank Baine, spokesperson for the Uganda Prisons Service, described his overnight visit to a doctor as a “general check-up” and stated that Besigye “receives necessary treatment like other prisoners and he is fine” .
The health dispute has affected legal proceedings. In January, the High Court adjourned Besigye’s treason trial for three weeks after rejecting a request for a Zoom hearing, with the judge ruling that proceedings could only resume when all accused appear physically. Defence lawyers had objected to remote proceedings, arguing that if Besigye could not be transported or stand in court, the trial could not proceed .
Treason charges and political context
Besigye, once Uganda’s most prominent opposition figure and four-time presidential candidate, is accused of plotting to remove Museveni by force. The charge carries the death penalty .
The case has generated international attention due to the circumstances of Besigye’s detention. He went missing in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi in November 2024. Days later, he was presented before a military tribunal in Kampala to face charges related to threatening national security. The case was later transferred to civilian court and amended as treason .
Museveni’s son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s top military commander, has alleged that Besigye plotted to kill his father. Last week, Kainerugaba called Besigye “a dead man walking” .
Uganda’s president has said Besigye must answer for “the very serious offenses he is alleged to have been planning,” and has called for “a quick trial so that facts come out” .
From ally to adversary
Besigye’s trajectory from insider to opponent adds complexity to the current standoff. He once was a trusted ally of Museveni in the guerrilla war that propelled the president to power in 1986, serving as Museveni’s personal doctor and military assistant .
He later became a fierce critic of the president, condemning what he saw as a descent into authoritarianism that betrayed the democratic promise of Museveni’s early years. Term and age limits on the presidency have since been scrapped .
Broader political crackdown
The detention of Besigye comes amid a wider crackdown on political opposition in Uganda. Museveni was declared the winner of last month’s election with more than 71% of the vote, securing a seventh term. His main opponent, opposition figure Bobi Wine, has since gone into hiding, fearing for his safety .
Bobi Wine rejected the election results as “fake” and has cited threats against his life . The election period was also marked by a nationwide internet shutdown from 13 to 18 January, which critics have described as “digital strangulation” designed to suppress political dissent and coordination .
Voter turnout stood at 52.5 per cent, the lowest in recent history, signalling significant withdrawal of the citizenry from a process they no longer trust .
What’s next
The postponed mass at Lubaga Cathedral highlights the increasing intersection of religious space and political dissent in Uganda. Byanyima indicated that the archbishop would wait to hear back from President Museveni after his investigation and then schedule another time for prayer .
“We are here and unable to have the Mass that we wanted because of the order of our president,” Byanyima told the congregation. “I would like that we still pray because we came to pray” .
The treason trial is scheduled to resume, though Besigye’s ongoing health concerns may continue to complicate proceedings. Defence lawyers maintain that their client is entitled to the services of his personal physician, even under incarceration .
As the standoff continues, the image of hundreds of worshippers singing hymns in a cathedral without clergy stands as an unlikely tableau of resistance — a moment when a house of worship became, however briefly, a house of political defiance.
Related
hoimapost.co.ug
