Uganda Opposition Leader / Martha Karua XSenior Counsel Martha Karua has expressed concern over the health of Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye, saying his condition is deteriorating.
Karua said it has been 465 days since Besigye was allegedly abducted from Nairobi.
In a statement shared on Tuesday, Karua spoke after she appeared in Kampala as lead counsel for the veteran politician in proceedings before Emmanuel Baguma.
“It has been 465 days since Dr Kizza Besigye was abducted from Nairobi. Today in Kampala, I appeared before Justice Emmanuel Baguma as lead counsel for Kizza Besigye. It is disheartening to see how his health is deteriorating,” Karua said.
She also conveyed a message of solidarity to Winnie Byanyima, Besigye’s spouse, praising her resilience amid the family’s ongoing ordeal.
Karua affirmed her commitment to continue advocating for human rights both in Kenya and beyond.
On January 22, Winnie Byanyima, Besigye's spouse, said that his life was in danger.
''He is extremely weak,'' said Winnie Byanyima in a statement posted on X.
The 69-year-old politician had been taken overnight to a medical facility, the People's Front for Freedom (PFF) party said, without specifying what he was suffering from.
He is
one of the few leaders who have dared to challenge President Yoweri Museveni's decades-long tenure in Uganda.In August 2001, Besigye fled Uganda, citing state persecution, and lived in South Africa for four years.
Besigye served as the leader of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) political party.
He unsuccessfully vied for the presidency in 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016, losing the elections to incumbent President Museveni.
In 2021, he did not vie for the position; instead aligned himself with opposition leader Bobi Wine
Besigye has been arrested at least five times, with the most recent being on November 16, 2024, in Nairobi, where he was to attend Martha Karua’s book launch.
Four days later, on November 20, Besigye and Hajj Lutale appeared before a military court in Kampala, under the charges of possession of an illegal firearm.
They pleaded not guilty and were remanded at Luzira Maximum Security Prison.
In January 2025, the military court ruled that Besigye could be tried for treachery
On January 31, 2025, the Supreme Court of Uganda ruled that the trial of civilians in military courts was unconstitutional, but this order was ignored.
On February 11, Besigye began a hunger strike and was hospitalized a few days later.
Bobi Wine, Besigye’s wife Winnie Byanyima and his lawyer have described him as being ill, dizzy and weak.
The Commonwealth and several human rights organisations in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have called for Besigye’s immediate release.
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