Minister Baryomunsi visits Besigye at Mulago; gives update on health

Uganda Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi visited Dr Kizza Besigye at Mulago Hospital where he remains under care following his collapse in court last week

Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi on Friday visited detained opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

The minister revealed that the 70 year old veteran politician was recovering after spending days in intensive care.

Baryomunsi said he had met Besigye at the hospital and wished him a quick recovery.

"I paid a visit to Dr. Kiiza Besigye today morning at Mulago Hospital, where he is hospitalised. He is steadily recuperating and I wished him quick recovery,” he said.

“I thank the team of medical workers that are attending to him.”

Baryomunsi's update is the latest indication that Besigye's condition has improved after he collapsed during a High Court session last week and was admitted to Mulago Hospital's intensive care unit.

Besigye being placed in the ambulance

In recent days, his wife Winnie Byanyima had said he was critically ill and unable to speak, while family members and political allies repeatedly raised concerns over his health.

The opposition leader remains under guard at Mulago as he receives treatment while facing treason charges.

Earlier this week, High Court judge Justice Emmanuel Baguma directed Uganda Prisons Service to file a medical report on Besigye's condition to guide further court proceedings after concerns were raised about his health.

Byanyima, who recently visited her husband at the hospital, had said doctors were still establishing the cause of his collapse. She also criticised the heavy security deployment around his hospital bed and called for his constitutional rights to be respected.

Besigye has been in custody since November 2024 after his arrest in Nairobi and subsequent transfer to Uganda, where he is facing treason-related charges.