Ugandans Heartbroken as Besigye Emotionally Narrates What He is Going Through at Luzira Prison

Ugandans have been left heartbroken after former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader Dr. Kizza Besigye expressed fears for his life while in Luzira Maximum Prison.

Speaking to Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, Besigye reportedly said he fears being poisoned or harmed while in detention.

The Committee, chaired by West Budama MP Fox Odoi, visited Besigye and his co-accused, Haj Obed Lutale, over the weekend.

Odoi informed Parliament that Besigye described his situation as "a prison within a prison," citing solitary confinement and unexplained nighttime activities such as padlocks being opened and closed without anyone entering his cell.

Although there were reports that Besigye had gone on a hunger strike, Odoi clarified that he has access to food from three authorized suppliers.

However, the Committee noted that food provided by the Uganda Prisons Service lacks variety and fails to meet legal dietary standards.

Additionally, the committee found that Luzira Maximum Prison, designed to hold 600 inmates, currently houses over 3,200, with most prisoners in pretrial detention.

Erute South MP Jonathan Odur presented a minority report, reinforcing Besigye’s fear of being poisoned.

He narrated how, deep in the night, two of the four doors to Besigye’s cell were mysteriously opened, causing panic.

Odur also reported that prison authorities confiscated Besigye’s Christmas message to Ugandans because it contained the words "freedom" and "justice."

Ndorwa East MP Wilfred Nuwagaba condemned Besigye’s solitary confinement, calling it illegal and amounting to torture. The revelations have sparked fresh concerns over the treatment of political detainees in Uganda.