By Aggrey Baba
Fury and uncertainty erupted inside the opposition camp after jailed opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye was rushed away from court on Wednesday and taken to Mbuya Military Hospital following a health emergency, with the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) demanding answers over what it’s leaders described as a suspicious handling of the veteran politician’s condition.
PFF Deputy president Dr. Michael Lulume Bayiga, speaking during a press conference at the party headquarters at Katonga road in Kampala, fired a warning shot at authorities (mostly the Uganda Prisons Service), questioning why Besigye, who is being held under the Uganda Prisons Service, was moved to a military facility instead of a civilian medical centre and why his relatives were allegedly not immediately informed.
Lulume said the biggest concern was not only Besigye collapsing during court proceedings but what happened immediately after security officers took him away.
According to Lulume, Dr. Olive Kobusingye, Besigye’s sister and a medical doctor, tried to establish where her brother had been taken but was allegedly not given clear information. He claimed that prison officials initially indicated that Besigye was being transferred to another medical facility, only for the party to later discover that he had been taken to Mbuya Military Hospital before being moved to Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Lulume questioned why government would allegedly hide details of the medical transfer of a high-profile political prisoner like Besigye.
“Why did the prison service take Dr. Besigye to the military hospital? Why did they hide the identity of the hospital where they were taking him?” he asked.
The PFF leader said such secrecy was bound to create suspicion, arguing that relatives, personal doctors and close associates should have been granted access to Besigye at a time when his health was deteriorating.
Lulume also turned his guns on what he described as the changing face of Uganda Prisons Service, claiming that military personnel had taken over prison operations while wearing prison uniforms.
He said the behaviour of some prison warder’s involved in handling Besigye’s unconscious case was different from the traditional conduct of prison officers, whom he described as usually approachable and professional.
According to Lulume, the party wanted answers about who made the decision to move Besigye, why his family was not properly informed and why access to him was restricted.
The PFF official further claimed that information reaching the party indicated that Besigye was in a serious condition, lying unconscious in Mulago.
But as Lulume raised questions over Besigye’s medical situation, former Kasese Woman MP Ingrid Turinawe turned the moment into a rallying cry, insisting that the opposition had survived difficult battles before and would not be intimidated.
Turinawe said Besigye had spent years training his supporters and subjects to withstand political pressure, arrests and intimidation, insisting that the current crisis would also pass.
She recalled previous periods when opposition supporters were arrested and taken to Nalufenya detention facility in Jinja, where opposition groups accused security agencies of torture and mistreatment.
According to the Iron lady from Rukungiri, the opposition under Besigye’s leadership managed to overcome the Nalufenya era and later challenged the administration of former Inspector General of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura, further warning that the opposition would not be frightened by what she called new era of abductions and arrests under Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Turinawe referred to the controversial “basement” phrase that has featured in political debates after Gen. Muhoozi’s comments about detained opposition figures, where he joked that some were in his basement learning Runyankole.
She accused the state of continuing to target opposition figures and challenged the public to rise and demand the release and fair treatment of political prisoners.
Turinawe said Besigye had always told citizens that they must fight for their own freedoms instead of waiting for individual leaders to do it for them, warning that “The time is now and we should not wait for Besigye to die.”
The controversy comes as Besigye continues facing treason-related charges alongside his co-accused, including Obed Lutale, allegations they deny.
The case has attracted intense attention, with the opposition accusing authorities of persecution while government officials maintain that those facing charges are being handled through lawful judicial processes. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
