The Prison authorities have dismissed claims that embattled Dr Kizza Besigye is critically ill and revealed that reports suggesting his health is deteriorating are exaggerated and driven by political motives rather than medical facts.

An anonymous senior prison authority familiar with the matter told Eagle Online Dr Besigye recently suffered from diarrhoea and personally requested that his long-time private doctor handle his treatment, a request the prison accommodated without delay.

“He had diarrhoea, and after a week, he asked that his personal doctor attend to him. That was granted. There was nothing life-threatening about his condition,” the official said.

The official explained that prison procedures require inmates to register next of kin who handle medical and welfare decisions in case of illness. In Dr Besigye’s case, two of his sisters, both medical doctors, were officially registered for that role.

“In prison, you cannot just say, inform my wife, and for this case, Dr Besigye never registered Byanyima. Health matters are handled through the registered next of kin. Dr Besigye chose his two sisters, who are doctors, and they are the ones responsible for his care when needed,” the official said.

The prison authority said when Dr Besigye’s symptoms persisted on Sunday evening, he was escorted to his personal doctor for examination and treatment, after which he was returned to custody in stable condition. However, the official claimed information about the visit leaked, prompting Winnie Byanyima to intervene in a manner that violated prison regulations.

“There was a leakage of information. When Byanyima came, she broke prison rules. Visitors are not allowed to carry phones. She took a photo against the wishes of Dr Besigye and the attending doctor,” the official said.

The authority said even Dr Besigye himself objected to the photograph being taken, describing the move as unnecessary.

“He was not happy with that. This was not about medical urgency. It looked more like an attempt to create public drama out of a manageable situation,” the official added.

The Prison official further rejected claims that Dr Besigye is being held under harsh or life threatening conditions, saying he is accommodated in a monitored private cubicle within a shared cell.

“He has his own cubicle, a bed, private toilet facilities and access to a television. He is monitored on camera twenty four hours a day. There is no basis to claim his life is under threat,” the official said.

The authority insisted the matter was being misrepresented as a failure by the prison system, when in fact it started from disagreements within the family over who should speak on Besigye’s health.

“This is not about the denial of treatment. It is about internal family issues. The registered next of kin are his sisters. They are the ones authorized to take him food, handle medical engagement, and communicate officially,” the official said.

However, after the visit, Winnie Byanyima issued statements claiming her husband was seriously ill and had been denied proper medical attention. She described him as weak and in distress following the prison visit to his doctor.

“Dr Besigye is seriously ill and was taken to see his doctor late at night after his condition worsened,” she said in a statement.

She further claimed that when she saw him, his condition was alarming and required urgent attention.

“He was extremely weak, shaking, and in pain. I was deeply concerned about his health,” Byanyima said.

Prison authorities, however, maintain that Dr Besigye’s condition was stabilised, that medical protocols were followed, and that no emergency existed to justify the alarm raised publicly.

“Whenever his health is threatened, his doctor is involved first. That has always been respected. Claims that he was neglected are simply not true,” the official said.

The prison authority insisted that Dr Besigye is under proper medical supervision and that attempts to frame the matter as a crisis are misleading and politically driven.

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The Deputy Chief Justice, Dr. Flavian Zeija, has appeared before the Appointment Committee of Parliament for vetting after President Yoweri Museveni appointed him to replace Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny–Dollo.

Justice Dollo officially retired on January 18, 2026, after clocking the mandatory retirement age of 70 years. However, in a twist of events, President Museveni ignored the ongoing Judicial Service Commission recruitment process that had enlisted candidates for the same job. Judicial sources told Eagle Online that the president’s decision could have been informed within the time bound, given that there will be swearing in for the head of state and other leaders, like members of parliament, but most importantly, the ongoing filing of the 2026 presidential petition by the former National Peasants Party candidate, Robert Kasibante.

Is Justice Zeija a Blue-eyed boy or lucky?

Uganda’s Parliament last year vetted Dr. Flavian Zeija for the role of Deputy Chief Justice, a critical step in a series of changes reshaping the country’s judiciary. The vetting, conducted on February 10, 2025, included over 30 judicial nominees and was part of Parliament’s constitutional responsibility to ensure senior judges meet standards of integrity, competence, and professionalism.

The Appointments Committee, chaired by Speaker Anita Among, questioned nominees on issues ranging from case backlog and judicial independence to court administration and reforms. Sources at the session described the scrutiny as firm but orderly, reflecting Parliament’s intention to balance political oversight with judicial independence. At the end of the process, all nominees, including Zeija, were approved, paving the way for his swearing-in as Deputy Chief Justice in April 2025.

A Career of Legal and Judicial Leadership

Dr. Zeija’s legal career spans over two decades, combining private practice, academia, and judicial service. Born in 1969, he holds a PhD in Law from the University of Dar es Salaam and has taught at several Ugandan universities. Before joining the bench in 2016, he served as a managing partner at a Kampala law firm.

As Principal Judge of the High Court, a role he held from 2019, Zeija supervised High Court operations and magistrates’ courts nationwide. He was credited with deploying judges to busy regions and implementing administrative reforms aimed at reducing case delays — an experience that informed his vetting and approval as Deputy Chief Justice.

From Deputy to Chief Justice

In January 2026, following the retirement of Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, Dr. Zeija was appointed Chief Justice of Uganda by President Museveni. The transition comes amid heightened public scrutiny, particularly after the 2026 presidential election, with ongoing legal challenges to the election results. Zeija now leads the Supreme Court and the judiciary, tasked with navigating complex constitutional cases while improving access to justice across the country.

Observers note that his appointment is both a personal milestone and a reflection of ongoing efforts to strengthen Uganda’s judicial institutions. During the handover, Owiny-Dollo emphasized the importance of continuity and urged the judiciary to remain focused on fairness, efficiency, and public confidence — themes that hadframed Zeija’s parliamentary vetting months earlier.

Speaker of Parliament Anita Among announced oh ere X handle that the August House had vetted Justice Zeija for the number four top job in the country.

“Earlier today, we convened the appointments committee of parliament to vet the Honourable Justice Flavian Zeija, who was appointed by His Excellency the President to serve as the Chief Justice of the Republic of Uganda. The committee’s report will be forwarded to the appointment authority in accordance with our rules of procedure.” Among wrote.

Looking Ahead

Dr. Zeija’s elevation to Chief Justice represents the culmination of years of legal service and leadership. How he balances the pressures of political scrutiny, case backlogs, and judicial reforms will be closely watched by legal practitioners, civil society, and Ugandans nationwide. His tenure will likely set the tone for the judiciary’s independence and effectiveness in the years to come.

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Police have arrested Butambala County legislator Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi following violent incidents that occured in the district after the 2026 general elections.

The arrest was confirmed by Lydia Tushabe, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Katonga region.

Lydia Tushabe said that Kivumbi is being held in custody and will be produced in court. 

According to police, the arrest is linked to recent episodes of political violence in Butambala, where security forces clashed with civilians in the aftermath of the vote which led to death of ten people.

“The Uganda Police Force would like to confirm the arrest of the Butambala County legislator, Hon. Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi. He is currently in police custody and will be arraigned before court in due course,” said Lydia Tushabe, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Katonga region.

She added, “His arrest is in connection with recent incidents of political violence in Butambala.”

Security agencies maintain that the violence was triggered by an attempted attack on a police station and a vote-tallying centre by groups allegedly armed with pangas, shortly after Kivumbi lost the parliamentary race.

President Yoweri Museveni while addressing the matter after the elections in Rwakitura, said intelligence reports had indicated that opposition members had planned to cause chaos in areas where their candidates lost. He singled out Butambala as one of the flashpoints.

“In Butambala, Kivumbi was defeated, and the plan everywhere was that where NUP lost, gangs armed with pangas would attack polling stations,” Museveni said.

He added,“This was attempted when he was defeated, and seven of them were shot dead.”

Museveni defended the actions of the security forces, arguing that they acted to protect key installations and prevent a breakdown of law and order.

Kivumbi, however, while appearing on several media rejected the government’s account and insisted that no attack on a police station took place. He said the victims were his supporters who had gathered peacefully at his home as they waited for election results.

“They were killed inside my house,” Kivumbi earlier said in response to the allegations.

He added, “There is no police station in this village. Is my home now a police station?”

He accused security personnel of storming his residence at night and opening fire without justification, describing the deaths as unlawful killings. Kivumbi has demanded an independent investigation into the incident and accountability for those responsible.

While authorities have put the death toll at seven, Kivumbi and some local leaders say the number could be higher, claiming that up to ten people from his campaign team were killed during the operation.

Police leaders have defended the operation, saying their officers acted on intelligence that the group intended to launch coordinated attacks and that some suspects have admitted being mobilised for violence. Investigations, they say, are still ongoing.

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Winnie Byanyima, wife of former presidential candidate Colonel Kizza Besigye has revealed that her husband is seriously ill and now in hands of the army rather than civilian prison authority.

Besigye has been held for over a year on trumped-up charges of treason.

“Dr. Besigye is seriously ill and has been denied timely and adequate medical care. Last night, after a sharp deterioration in his condition, he was rushed to the clinic of his personal doctor, where he was treated and then returned to prison late at night,” Byanyima said.

She said the prison authorities did not inform her of his condition, and she learned about it through other sources. “When I saw him, Dr. Besigye was extremely weak, shaking, running a high temperature, and suffering from severe abdominal pain,” she said.

Byanyima described the presence of both prison officers and a plainclothes military intelligence officer during her husband’s treatment. “At the clinic, Dr. Besigye was guarded by six prison officers and a plainclothes military intelligence officer, a woman who concealed her face with a large white shawl. When he was discharged, Dr. Besigye was marched to a basement car park and bundled into a prison pickup truck, squashed between two warders,” she said.

She also criticized the lack of access to proper medical facilities, saying her husband is now restricted to the prison sick bay, which she described as ill-equipped. “The Commissioner of Prisons has now denied Dr. Besigye access to a fully equipped medical facility, allowing only his personal doctor to see him at the prison sick bay,” Byanyima said.

Byanyima outlined other restrictions placed on Dr. Besigye, including solitary confinement, limited physical activity, and confinement to a small cell with little sunlight. She said he has been denied bail four times and remains on remand while facing charges she calls fabricated.

“I therefore demand the immediate release of Dr. Kizza Besigye, so that his family and doctors can care for him properly. He is innocent and these political games must stop. His continued detention, mistreatment, and denial of medical care place his life at grave risk,” she said.

However, Prisons spokesperson Frank Baine Mayanja while appearing before the media dismissed reports claiming that Kizza Besigye was rushed to hospital overnight in critical condition.

He confirmed that while Besigye did see his doctor at night, his health is not deteriorating.

“The hospital visit was part of Besigye’s routine monthly medical check-up. He has since returned to Luzira Prison and is continuing with his normal daily activities,” Baine said.

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