Opposition figure Besigye, on hunger strike, makes a court appearance

His supporters reported that Kizza Besigye, an opposition figure from Uganda who is on hunger strike, appeared frail in court on Friday after one of his attorneys referred to him as “critically ill.”

At the age of 68, Besigye is a prominent rival of President Yoweri Museveni, who has held power for almost 40 years. Besigye has contested against him in four elections without success.

Besigye, facing charges of “threatening national security,” began a hunger strike on February 10 in protest of his detention, according to his lawyer Erias Lukwago.

On Thursday, Lukwago stated that Besigye was too unwell to exit his cell; however, on Friday, the prisoner showed up in a civilian court for a hearing regarding a different case.

Besigye, together with his political associate Samuel Lubega Mukaaku, appeared for allegedly provoking violence during a protest they led against soaring commodity prices in 2022.

After dispatching a handwritten note in which he stated that he was unwell, he missed a court appearance on Tuesday.

In November, Besigye was abducted in Kenya and is now facing treason charges in a court martial, where he could receive the death penalty. His wife, Winnie Byanyima, who serves as the executive director of UNAIDS, has described the proceedings as a “sham.”

In the lead-up to the 2026 presidential elections in Uganda, the UN and various rights organisations have expressed concern regarding the repression of political opposition.