Kizza Besigye, a leading opposition figure in Uganda, was admitted to an intensive care unit after collapsing in a Kampala court where he is facing treason charges.
The 70-year-old fell unconscious during proceedings on Wednesday and was immediately transported to Mulago National Referral Hospital's ICU, according to a statement from his wife, Winnie Byanyima, who also leads the United Nations AIDS programme, UNAids.
Byanyima described Besigye's condition as critical, noting he is unresponsive and unable to communicate or react to pain stimuli.
Besigye has been detained since November 2024 after being arrested alongside his aide, Obeid Lutale, in Kenya. They were repatriated to Uganda and charged with treason, allegations widely viewed by his supporters and human rights advocates as politically motivated.
This development comes amid an intensified crackdown on opposition figures under President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for decades. Museveni, 81, secured re-election in January, a result contested by opposition leader Bobi Wine, now living in exile in the United States.
Attempts to obtain comment from government spokesperson Alan Kasujja were unsuccessful.
