The health of veteran opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye has deteriorated to a critical state after spending more than a year in detention, his political party, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), has said.
In a statement issued on X on Tuesday night, PFF disclosed that it had received credible information indicating that Dr. Besigye was rushed late at night from Luzira Prison to a medical facility at Bugolobi Village Mall under heavy security deployment.
“The health of our leader, Dr. Kizza Besigye, has reached a critical and deteriorating state,” the party said, describing the situation as alarming and unacceptable.
PFF condemned what it called the continued denial of Besigye’s right to medical dignity, noting the irony that a man who has dedicated much of his life to public service and the health of others is now struggling to access adequate medical care.
“It is a tragedy that a man who has dedicated his life to the health and freedom of others is being denied his own right to medical dignity,” the statement read.
The party held the government and prison authorities fully accountable for Besigye’s well-being and demanded that his personal doctors and family be granted immediate and unrestricted access to him. PFF also reiterated its long-held position that Besigye’s continued detention is unlawful.
“We reiterate that Dr. Besigye is being held in total disregard of the law. He must be freed to receive the care he deserves,” the statement added.
Dr. Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate and long-time critic of President Yoweri Museveni, has now spent over a year in prison, a development that has drawn growing concern from supporters, medical professionals, and human rights activists.
PFF called on Ugandans and supporters of freedom to remain vigilant and keep Besigye in their prayers, pledging to continue providing updates as more information emerges from its teams on the ground.
The latest development adds to mounting national anxiety over Besigye’s health and intensifies pressure on authorities to address his medical condition before it worsens further.