Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has commenced on February 11 a hunger strike as he approaches three months in detention awaiting trial.
Besigye, 68, faces charges of possessing pistols and attempting to purchase weapons abroad, accusations he firmly denies. His trial, initially postponed until January, has yet to have a scheduled date, further fuelling his protest.
An aide from his political movement, the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF), stated that Besigye is protesting his ongoing imprisonment, believing he should be at home rather than behind bars.
Besigye, who once served as personal doctor to Uganda’s long-serving President, Yoweri Museveni, has been a prominent opposition figure for years. Despite losing four presidential elections to Museveni, Besigye has accused the Government of political persecution. His political activity has waned in recent years, and he did not contest the 2021 election. However, his recent dramatic abduction in Kenya and subsequent forced return to Uganda sparked significant international outcry and raised concerns about possible intelligence exchanges between the two countries.
The legal battles surrounding Besigye continue, with Uganda’s Supreme Court ruling last month that military courts cannot try civilians, transferring such cases to civilian courts. President Museveni, however, expressed frustration with the ruling, calling it “wrong” and vowing to challenge it. Besigye has a long history of clashes with the law, including previous charges of treason and rape, which he has always maintained were politically motivated. Despite his detention, opposition parties argue that Museveni’s rule is increasingly characterised by political repression and an intolerance of competition.