Kizza Besigye was taken to hospital late Friday, August 28, after his condition worsened at Luzira Prison, with his wife, Winnie Byanyima, saying the veteran opposition leader is still struggling with basic movement and communication.
Byanyima said the 70-year-old was transferred from the prison after dark to the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) off Entebbe Road, about 10 kilometres from Kampala.
“After dark, Dr Kizza Besigye was moved from Luzira Prison to JCRC hospital today. He is still very weak. He struggles to walk, speak, write or even hold anything steadily,” Byanyima said in a statement on Friday.
The latest hospital transfer comes weeks after Besigye collapsed in the dock at the High Court in Kampala on July 29 while attending proceedings in his treason case.
He was taken by ambulance to the Intensive Care Unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital, where his condition remained critical for several days.
His family said Besigye was unconscious and did not respond to pain stimuli for several days before his condition later improved.
He spent about 10 days at Mulago before being returned to Luzira Prison on August 7. Following his return, he is said to have staged another hunger strike.
Byanyima had previously said Besigye remained severely weak and was unable to walk or speak properly after being taken back to prison.
His health has remained a major concern for his family, who are now asking authorities to let him leave the country for treatment.
The family wants Besigye to travel to Geneva, Switzerland, for urgent medical care while also receiving support and care from his relatives.
They have also raised concerns about chronic problems affecting his lungs and spine, saying the conditions have been worsened by his stay in prison.
Besigye has been held since November 2024 and has faced a series of arrests and court cases during his long political career.
“He has been arrested more than 50 times. He has faced case after case. He has never run away from justice,” Byanyima said on Friday.
She questioned why Besigye was still being moved between detention and medical facilities despite his poor health and called for him to be allowed access to his family.
“Why drag a sick man from place to place? Why deny him the care of his family? Why force a trial on a man too ill to defend himself?” she added.