Former Kampala deputy lord mayor Doreen Nyanjura has raised fresh concerns over the health and welfare of detained opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye after he was reportedly moved back to prison following medical treatment.
Nyanjura said the decision to return Besigye to custody had come at a time when concerns remained over his ability to speak, walk and perform basic activities without assistance.
Her remarks followed an update by Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, who said the opposition figure had been returned to his prison cell and that family members who had been caring for him had been sent away.
Nyanjura said Besigye’s return to prison was particularly troubling given the contents of a medical report that has circulated publicly concerning his condition.
“While we are still processing the alarming medical report on @kizzabesigye1, those who want him dead have struck again,” Nyanjura said.
She alleged that Besigye had earlier been moved from Mulago Hospital while he was still seriously ill and taken to a prison medical facility in Luzira.
“Just as they forcefully moved him from Mulago Hospital when he was still severely ill to an ungazetted clinic in Luzira Prison, last night they went a step further,” she added.
According to Nyanjura, Besigye’s family caregivers were removed from his side before he was taken back into prison custody.
“They chased away his caretakers and carried away a man who can neither speak, walk, nor feed himself, back to prison,” she said.
Nyanjura described the development as a serious human rights concern, arguing that Besigye’s reported condition required specialised medical attention and family support rather than confinement.
“Sending a severely sick person who cannot stand or even speak back to a suffocating, dirty, tiny cell is a blatant human rights violation,” she said.
The former Kampala deputy lord mayor further questioned the circumstances surrounding Besigye’s treatment and detention, alleging that political considerations were influencing decisions concerning his welfare.
“The political motives behind this absolute lack of empathy and due process are undeniable,” Nyanjura said.
Besigye’s health has become a major issue in his ongoing court case after he collapsed during proceedings and was rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital for treatment.
His wife has also appealed to Ugandan authorities to allow him to travel to Geneva for further medical care, arguing that he should be permitted to recover before returning to court to defend himself.
The developments have intensified concerns among Besigye’s family, political allies and supporters over whether he is medically fit to participate in the proceedings.
However, the allegations made by Nyanjura and Byanyima concerning his treatment and prison conditions have not been independently verified.
Ugandan authorities have previously maintained that Besigye remains under medical supervision while in custody.