Viral video doesn't show protests over detention of Ugandan opposition politician Kizza Besigye
IN SHORT: While there have been protests over Kizza Besigye's arrest, this particular video is of a 2023 rally that has nothing to do with the Ugandan politician's detention.
A post on the social media platform X reads: "Yoweri Museveni is playing with fire. Dr. Kizza Besigye's detention will trigger a revolution in Uganda. It is getting started!"
The post includes a 37-second video of hundreds of people, many of whom are wearing red clothing. The people are singing and walking alongside a convoy of vehicles, making the scene look like a campaign rally or protest.
The same video has been posted multiple times on X, Facebook and TikTok with similar claims. In total, the posts have been viewed over 580,000 times and received thousands of likes, comments and shares.
Background
Kizza Besigye is a medical doctor, opposition politician and former Ugandan military officer. He is a long-time political opponent of Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, having run against him in four presidential elections.
In November 2024, Besigye was arrested in Nairobi, Kenya, while attending a book launch and transferred to Uganda. He was detained in a military prison and charged in a military court despite being a civilian.
The charges included "treachery", illegal possession of firearms, and allegedly seeking military help to undermine the government.
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Besigye's arrest in Kenya raised questions among Ugandan opposition leaders, and human rights groups criticised both the Ugandan and Kenyan governments for his arrest and subsequent detention.
In January 2025, the Ugandan supreme court ruled that civilians should not be tried in military courts. But Besigye remained in military detention for some time after the ruling. In protest, he went on a hunger strike, which affected his health, and he was briefly hospitalised.
On 21 February, Besigye was transferred to a civilian court. His trial continues with amended treason charges, while charges of treachery and illegal possession of firearms have been excluded. His arrest has sparked public anger, protests, and international calls for his release. Opposition leader Bobi Wine has repeatedly condemned Besigye's detention, while several protests have been planned in Uganda and Kenya.
But does this video really show a protest over Besigye's arrest and detention? We checked.
Video of a 2023 mobilisation by Bobi Wine
A closer look at the video shows that the person leading the convoy appears to be Bobi Wine. A reverse image search shows that the video is from a rally held on 6 September 2023.
The rally was held in Mbale city, about 220 kilometres from the capital, Kampala. During the event, Wine was on a nationwide mobilisation campaign.
Although there have been protests over Besigye's arrest, they have not yet been on the scale of the video. This footage is not from any of those protests. Instead, it shows a 2023 rally led by Wine, which has nothing to do with Besigye's arrest.
The claim that this video shows protests against Besigye's detention is false.
