Uganda Opposition Politician Besigye Marks One Year In Detention
Opposition politician Kizza Besigye was abducted in Nairobi on November 16, 2024, and immediately transferred to Uganda. Initially arraigned before a military court and charged with illegal possession of a firearm, Besigye was transferred to a civilian court in February, where his charges were upgraded to treason after challenging the military court's jurisdiction.
Besigye, 68, has had decades-long confrontations with Ugandan authorities, and civil society groups and international observers consistently raised concerns over due process in the country and the shrinking space for dissent.
His prolonged incarceration - amid stalled investigations, contested bail hearings, and allegations of judicial interference - has renewed scrutiny about Uganda's political freedoms and the treatment of opposition figures.
-
Uganda:
Dr.Kizza Besigye Marks One Year in Detention Amid Legal Deadlock
Nile Post, 17 November 2025
As of Sunday, October, 16, 2025, opposition leader Kizza Besigye and his political aide Haji Obeid Lutale have spent a full year in detention following their abduction in Nairobi… Read more »
-
Uganda:
Winnie Byanyima Demands Immediate Release of Besigye On First Anniversary of Detention
Nile Post, 17 November 2025
On the first anniversary of the abduction and continued detention of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, his spouse and UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima, issued a… Read more »
-
Uganda:
No, Ugandan Opposition Leader Kizza Besigye Was Not Released
Africa Check, 11 November 2025
No, Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye remains in detention on treason charges despite posts claiming his release from prison Read more »
-
Uganda:
High Court Dismisses Besigye's Application for Constitutional Reference
Nile Post, 7 November 2025
The High Court in Kampala has declined to refer an application by veteran opposition politician and four time presidential candidate Kizza Besigye and his co-accused Hajj Obeid… Read more »
-
Uganda:
Besigye Honoured With Democracy Award
Nile Post, 28 October 2025
Ugandan opposition stalwart Dr Kizza Besigye has been awarded the prestigious Akufo-Addo Democracy Prize by the Democracy Union of Africa (DUA), even as he remains incarcerated in… Read more »
InFocus
-
Human rights activists have described the arrest of Kizza Besigye as part of a "systemic crackdown" against key Ugandan opposition figures ahead of the 2026 presidential election. They staged a protest in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, along with the Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union, calling for his release while also condemning President Yoweri Museveni's "authoritarian" style of governance.
Ugandan authorities
Read more »
-
Dr. Kizza Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate and critic of President Museveni, has been hospitalized due to his deteriorating health but has since been returned to prison.
His wife, Winnie Byanyima, has described his confinement as inhumane, revealing that he has not eaten in days, is severely malnourished, and is held in a
Read more »
-
The court martial of opposition leader Kizza Besigye may be on hold after a ruling by Uganda's Supreme Court declaring that the military court lacks jurisdiction to try civilians.
Soldiers reportedly told journalists who had gathered for the trial on Monday, February 3, 2025, that there were "no proceedings today". The ruling marks a significant victory for human rights defenders who have long
Read more »
-
Lawyers representing opposition politician Kizza Besigye continue to challenge the constitutionality of the military trial of their client, who was abducted in Kenya. Besigye's legal team, led by former Kenyan Justice Minister Martha Karua, has said the constitution forbids the trial of civilians in military courts.
The chairman of the Court Martial, Brigadier-General Freeman Mugabe, has dismissed the
Read more »
Dr Kizza Besigye in the dock at the military court in Makindye.
