“No son should have to witness his father reach such a state,” Adam Ampa Besigye says in emotional appeal as 70-year-old opposition figure remains unconscious at Mulago Hospital
KAMPALA, Uganda — The son of detained Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has made an emotional appeal to President Yoweri Museveni and the country’s military chief to release his father, as the 70-year-old politician battles for his life in intensive care after collapsing in court.
Adam Ampa Besigye, whose father has been in custody since November 2024 on treason charges, described watching the veteran opposition figure collapse during a court session on Wednesday as a moment that “broke my heart.”
“Regardless of politics, no son should have to witness his father reach such a state while standing before the very law he served and dedicated his life to,” Ampa wrote in his appeal. “I write to you not as a politician, but as a son.”
The younger Besigye directed his plea to President Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, and Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), who also happens to be the president’s son.
“My Family Firmly Believes He Is Innocent”
Ampa emphasized that his appeal was not politically motivated but rather a humanitarian plea from a concerned son about his father’s deteriorating health condition.
“My family firmly believes he is innocent of the allegations against him and has never sought to harm you or your family,” he wrote to the Ugandan leaders. “Throughout his life, he has stood by his convictions and pursued political change through his beliefs, even when those beliefs have placed him in opposition to your government.”
The opposition figure’s son warned that Uganda “risks losing an opportunity to demonstrate that justice can prevail over political disagreements” if his father’s health continues to decline.
“Whatever personal disagreements have existed over the years, they need not end in tragedy,” Ampa said, urging the leaders to allow Besigye access to proper medical care and to release him so he can return to his family.
“He Is Unconscious, Unable to Speak”
Besigye’s condition has sparked widespread concern after he collapsed while attending a treason trial session at the High Court in Kampala. Harold Kaija, a senior official in Besigye’s People’s Front for Freedom party, said the opposition figure collapsed while standing in court.
His wife, Winnie Byanyima, a prominent international diplomat and former executive director of UNAIDS, confirmed that Besigye had been admitted to the intensive care unit at Mulago Hospital.
“He is unconscious, unable to speak, and unresponsive even to a pain stimulus,” Byanyima said in a statement. “Before he collapsed, he cried out that he was being injured. His sister, Dr Kobusingye, was in court but was not allowed to attend to him.”
Byanyima also accused authorities of denying Besigye access to his lawyers and personal doctor, saying his personal physician had examined him in prison just hours before the collapse and determined he urgently needed treatment at her clinic.
“Denying Kizza Besigye his lawyers. Denying him bail. Denying him access to his own doctor. These are injustices no family should have to endure,” she said.
A History of Detention and Political Turmoil
Besigye, a former personal physician to President Museveni who later became his most formidable political rival, has been in custody since November 2024. He and his aide, Obeid Lutale, were detained in Kenya and subsequently transferred to Uganda, where they were formally charged with treason.
The two have denied all charges, with party officials and their legal team maintaining that the case is politically motivated. Multiple attempts to secure Besigye’s release on bail have proven unsuccessful.
The detention of Besigye, who has previously run against Museveni in multiple presidential elections, has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations both domestically and internationally. The Commonwealth has also called for his release.
A Call for Reconciliation
In his appeal, Ampa Besigye said he hoped Uganda would choose reconciliation over bitterness and that future generations would remember that “compassion prevailed over conflict.”
“As his son, I do not wish to inherit bitterness. I wish to see reconciliation,” he wrote. “I hope that one day Ugandans of every political belief can look back and say that compassion prevailed over conflict.”
The appeal comes at a time of heightened political tensions in Uganda, where critics of President Museveni’s administration have long accused the government of human rights violations through actions against opposition leaders and critics.
As Besigye remains in intensive care, his family and supporters are waiting anxiously for any indication from the Ugandan government that it might respond to the plea from his son.
“Please allow him access to appropriate medical care and every protection afforded under the law,” Ampa implored. “Above all, I ask that you consider releasing him so he may return to his family and beloved ones. It’s well known he is in custody under your orders.”
