Jailed veteran opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye, and his lawyer Erias Lukwago have been rushed from Luzira prison to medical facilities, following a deterioration of their health conditions.
According to a statement released by their, party, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), following a rapid and severe deterioration in his health condition, Besigye was on Friday night moved from Luzira Maximum Security Prison to the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) Hospital.
The party noted that Dr Besigye remains in an extremely frail state, requiring specialized care that prison facilities cannot provide.
PFF has further noted that it’s executive chairman, Counsel Erias Lukwago was on Monday also abruptly rushed out of Murchison Bay Prison to a medical facility after his health critically worsened. “We are currently verifying his exact location and medical status” the statement reads.
PFF has further expressed dismay at the state and judiciary over allegedly continually ignoring urgent, evidence-backed medical bail applications highlighting advanced age and life-threatening medical conditions.
“The lives, safety and physical well-being of our leaders rest entirely in the hands of the State. We demand immediate, unrestricted access to specialized medical care and their unconditional release” the party noted.
Last week, the Executive Director of The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and Besigye’s wife, Dr Winnie Byanyima revealed that he had been returned to his prison cells despite his weak state.
Dr Byanyima noted that the prison conditions will undermine Dr Besigye’s recovery process, since he remains extremely weak and in need of family care.
Besigye’s return to the cells, came days after a psychiatric assessment from Mulago National Referral Hospital, dated August 17th, revealed that he remained alert and able to understand information but was unable to speak or write following his collapse in court on July 29th.
The report further revealed that the retired colonel, had “preserved comprehension”, an expressive communication impairment that could substantially interfere with his ability to participate in his defence.
The report said he could communicate by pointing to letters and numbers, but this method made it difficult to give detailed instructions to lawyers or communicate effectively about his defence.
Last month, the Criminal Division of High court in Kampala presided over by Justice David Matovu, dismissed Lukwago’s bail application over lack of a certified medical report from the Uganda Prisons Service (UPS).
According to the medical reports presented to court, a team of five consultants at Mulago National Referral Hospital recommended, among other interventions, a spinal review and specialised treatment by his primary spine surgeons in India.
Lukwago was recently committed to the High Court for trial on charges of misprision of treason, contrary to Section 25 of the Penal Code Act.
According to the amended charge sheet, prosecution alleges that between 2021 and November 2024, in Kampala and Nairobi, Lukwago knew that retired Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye, Hajj Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya, Joel Wakaima and Frank Kihehere Atukunda allegedly intended to commit treason but failed to report the information to the relevant authorities or take reasonable steps to prevent the offence.
In the summary of evidence presented in court, prosecution alleges that Lukwago, who leads the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), was aware of a series of meetings held in Belgium, Switzerland and Kenya involving Dr. Besigye and others accused of plotting to overthrow President Yoweri Museveni’s government by force but deliberately failed to report the alleged plans to authorities.
