Uganda has reversed its decision to hold opposition leader Kizza Besigye in a military trial, citing his deteriorating health as he remains on a hunger strike.
Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced late Sunday that Besigye’s case would be transferred to a civilian court. The move follows reports that the opposition leader, who has been on hunger strike, was temporarily moved to a medical facility.
Baryomunsi visited Besigye in prison earlier, urging him to end his hunger strike as authorities transferred his case. The former presidential candidate faces charges of illegal firearm possession and threatening state security.
Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, criticized the visit, calling it “highly suspicious.”
“You are not a concerned visitor. You are his captor,” Byanyima posted on X. “We will hold you and your government fully accountable for any harm that comes to him.”
A longtime critic of President Yoweri Museveni, Besigye has been detained in Kampala’s Luzira Maximum Security Prison since November. His legal team claims he was forcibly taken from Kenya and returned to Uganda against his will.
Human rights groups and opposition lawmakers have condemned his arrest. Amnesty International called his detention a “travesty of justice.”
Besigye launched his hunger strike last week in protest of what he calls an “illegal detention.” His lawyer warned Thursday that his health had deteriorated critically.
Public concern intensified after Besigye appeared frail and unable to walk in a court appearance Friday. On Sunday, he was taken in a wheelchair to a medical clinic in Kampala. A relative described his condition as “not good.”
Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, has been arrested multiple times over the years, including in 2022 on charges of inciting violence.
He has repeatedly contested President Museveni’s rule, accusing the government of election fraud and voter intimidation. Museveni has governed Uganda since 1986, and his administration has faced repeated allegations of human rights violations, illegal detentions, and extrajudicial killings.
Ugandan authorities have denied these accusations, insisting that all detainees receive due legal process. The government initially said it would ignore a Supreme Court ruling that a military trial for Besigye was unconstitutional.
