Opposition Demands Answers After Besigye Collapses in Court

What the report says

Nile Post reports that leaders of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) are seeking explanations from the government, the judiciary and the Uganda Prisons Service after opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye reportedly collapsed during court proceedings on Wednesday. The opposition leaders raised the issue while addressing journalists in Kampala, saying the circumstances of the incident and his later medical transfer needed urgent clarification.

According to the report, PFF officials alleged that Besigye collapsed after objecting to the continuation of the court session. They claimed prison officers restrained him before he became unconscious, and said colleagues who were medical doctors were not allowed to assist him. The opposition also alleged that Besigye was first taken to Mbuya Military Hospital and later moved to the Intensive Care Unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

PFF Deputy President Lulume Bayiga said the public should be told Besigye’s medical status and why his family, lawyers and colleagues were allegedly denied access or not informed about his whereabouts. He also criticised the handling of the court process, alleging that constitutional concerns raised by Besigye were disregarded and that public and media access to the courtroom was limited.

The PFF called on the Chief Justice to intervene over concerns about transparency and fairness in the proceedings, and urged the Uganda Prisons Service to issue an official update on Besigye’s condition. Nile Post reported that, at the time of publication, there had been no official response from the judiciary, the prisons service or the government to the opposition’s allegations.