Veteran Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye is undergoing rehabilitation to regain his ability to speak and walk, nearly three months after collapsing during a court session in Kampala, according to Doreen Nyanjura, a senior official in his political party who recently visited him.
Nyanjura, who heads Special Interest Groups at the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), said she was devastated by the condition of the former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president, whom she had not seen since his medical emergency.
In a detailed account of their meeting, she described a man who could hear clearly and remained mentally alert but was unable to speak, relying on an alphabetical chart and sign language to communicate.
“Three months since he collapsed, I finally had the opportunity to see and meet my leader, Dr Kizza Besigye!” Nyanjura wrote. “Before meeting him, I had imagined so many things about his appearance and current condition.”
What she encountered was more distressing than she had expected.
“It broke my heart to see that he is now being taught how to walk and talk again,” she said.
Nyanjura described a speech therapist guiding Besigye through exercises using a chart containing simple words that he was being encouraged to pronounce.
“A speech therapist was using a word chart with simple words like ‘dog’ and ‘boy,’ which KB is supposed to try his hardest to pronounce, though he hasn’t succeeded yet,” she wrote.
Unable to communicate through ordinary speech, Besigye has adopted an alternative method that requires patience from both him and his visitors.
“KB uses an alphabetical letter chart where he taps out letters for you to write down and piece together what he is saying,” Nyanjura said.
When he realised that his visitor was shocked by his condition, Besigye tried to reassure her by indicating that his situation could have been worse.
The encounter also produced moments of laughter, despite the seriousness of his condition.
Nyanjura said she sometimes struggled to interpret the letters he tapped on the chart, leading her to write down words that did not match what he intended to communicate.
“We both would laugh when he would check my notes and realize I had written something completely different from what he was spelling out!” she recounted.
“I tried to defend myself by saying that’s what he had tapped, and we would laugh again. When I ran out of excuses for my mistakes, I reminded him that my eyes aren’t fully functional, which is why I wear glasses.”
Besigye has also learnt to communicate through sign language, which he uses when he becomes tired of spelling out words.
“KB is now also an expert of sign language, when he gets tired of using the chat, he uses signs,” Nyanjura said.
Although his speech has not returned, she said his hearing remained good and his ability to reason was encouraging.
“He hears very well, but he not able to talk yet. I commended his sharp brain of being able to communicate by tapping letters of alphabet,” she added.
The physical limitations, however, extend beyond speech and mobility. Nyanjura said Besigye’s hands were shaky and lacked the strength needed to perform some ordinary tasks independently.
“As we conversed, I was drinking water, When I offered him a bottle as well, I was reminded that he cannot hold a bottle of water on his own. His hands aren’t firm, they are shaky and lack strength,” she wrote.
Besigye also appeared to have gaps in his memory concerning the events surrounding his collapse.
“He doesn’t remember exactly what happened at court, he remembers waking up days later while in the ICU at Mulago,” Nyanjura said.
Despite his condition, the opposition leader remained engaged in political discussions and expressed his views on the state of the country.
“He stated that we are back in the 1890s but encouraged us to hang in there. He said that under the current regime, just staying alive is an achievement,” she wrote.
Nyanjura also told Besigye about Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago. The two opposition figures had not met, she said.
“Salongo Erias Lukwago is his neighbor in the same facility, but they have never met. I informed him how Lukwago was taken to Mulago,” she added.
Reflecting on the visit, Nyanjura said witnessing Besigye’s condition was painful, but his determination and mental sharpness gave her hope.
“Seeing KB in state he is was incredibly painful, but his enduring spirit and sharp mind remind me why he is the leader he is. Please keep KB in your thoughts and prayers as he walks this long, difficult road to recovery. His resilience gives me hope that we will get through this dark chapter. Long live KB,” she wrote.
The account offers a personal glimpse into the rehabilitation of a politician whose health has become a central concern in a treason case that has attracted national and international attention.
Besigye’s Health and Calls for Medical Care
Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate and one of President Yoweri Museveni’s most prominent political challengers, has been detained since November 2024, when he and his aide, Obeid Lutale, were arrested in Kenya and brought to Uganda.
They were charged with treason alongside Uganda People’s Defence Forces Captain Denis Oola. All three have denied the allegations, while their lawyers and political allies have questioned the prosecution’s motives and the circumstances surrounding the case.
Besigye’s health became a major concern on July 29, 2026, when he collapsed during proceedings at the High Court in Kampala.
Before collapsing, he had protested against the conduct of the trial, including the exclusion of his lead counsel, Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua, who had been declared persona non grata, and the arrest of co-counsel Erias Lukwago.
“I will not continue with this criminal court. We shall not allow this court process. [Justice] Emmanuel Baguma, I will not allow you to continue abusing our country and the Constitution,” Besigye said before repeatedly banging on the dock and collapsing.
His wife, Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of UNAIDS, subsequently raised the alarm about his condition, reporting that he had been rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital in a critical state.
Byanyima said at the time that Besigye was unconscious, could not speak and was not responding even to painful stimuli. She also reported that he had complained of being injured shortly before collapsing, raising concerns about his treatment while in detention.
Byanyima has since challenged reports suggesting that negotiations coordinated by military general Salim Saleh were underway to secure her husband’s release.
She has maintained that Besigye’s health, access to medical treatment and constitutional rights should not be treated as bargaining issues. She has also criticised the continuation of court proceedings despite medical concerns about his fitness to participate.
The opposition leader’s supporters have called for his release on bail to enable him to receive appropriate medical care.
Star Witness Orlando Wilson’s Testimony
Besigye’s medical condition has unfolded alongside a contentious trial in which the prosecution’s key witness, Andrew Wilson, an American national who also uses the name Orlando, has testified about alleged meetings involving the accused.
Wilson told the High Court that he had been working for the Ugandan government while secretly gathering information on Besigye. His evidence has focused on alleged discussions in Nairobi, Geneva and Athens that the prosecution says were connected to a plan to overthrow the government by force.
His testimony has also drawn scrutiny from defence lawyers, who have challenged his credibility and the circumstances under which evidence was collected.
In September, Wilson acknowledged that a statement he recorded with police in March 2025 did not mention Lutale or Captain Oola, even though both men were among those later charged in the case.
Wilson also gave evidence about the November 2024 operation in Nairobi that preceded Besigye’s arrest. During cross-examination, he said two pistols were already inside the apartment where Besigye and Lutale arrived. He agreed with the suggestion that the weapons and what was described as fake money had been planted as part of an intelligence operation.
He further described the operation as a sting, raising questions about how the meeting was arranged and the role played by security operatives.
The prosecution has also relied on recordings allegedly made during meetings involving Besigye and others. Makerere University language specialist Medadi Ssentanda testified about transcripts prepared from those recordings, which covered more than 25 hours of audio and video material.
Ssentanda told court that Makerere University had received Shs59.32 million for the transcription work. He acknowledged that some sections of the recordings were inaudible and that the transcripts did not contain precise timestamps linking particular statements to specific moments in the recordings.
The court admitted the transcripts as prosecution evidence, although their evidential weight remains a matter for consideration in the case.
The proceedings have therefore involved disputes over the witness’s credibility, the collection and handling of evidence, and the reliability of the recordings and transcripts.
Besigye’s collapse has added another dimension to the case, raising questions about his ability to participate in proceedings while undergoing rehabilitation.
For now, Nyanjura’s account places the focus on the opposition leader’s immediate struggle to recover basic physical and communication skills. A man long accustomed to addressing political rallies and confronting the government is now working with therapists to pronounce simple words, regain mobility and communicate through an alphabet chart.
His recovery timeline remains unclear, but his supporters are watching closely as the legal case continues.
You can read about talks aimed at a deal to release Besigye Here.
