Ugandan opposition leader Besigye in intensive care

Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye is unconscious and in intensive care after collapsing during a court hearing on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. The 70-year-old, who has been detained on treason charges since November 2024, fell in the dock while protesting his trial, according to his family and political party.

His wife, Winnie Byanyima, who heads the United Nations AIDS programme UNAIDS, stated on Thursday that Besigye is unresponsive and unable to speak. He has been admitted to the intensive care unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital, a public facility in the capital, Kampala. Byanyima said that before he collapsed, he cried out that he was being injured. She and other supporters are calling for his transfer to a private hospital where he can be treated by his personal physician, but the court has not granted permission for the move.

The incident occurred during a session of his treason trial. Besigye was protesting being tried without lawyers of his own choosing after authorities detained and charged his main attorney, Erias Lukwago. A senior official from Besigye's party, the People's Front for Freedom, said the leader was standing when he suddenly collapsed, and an...