By The People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) has accused the government of subjecting political detainee Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye to degrading and potentially life-threatening prison conditions including an infestation of bedbugs designed to slowly destroy his health.
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Speaking at a press conference in Kampala, Hon. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the PFF spokesperson, revealed that Dr. Besigye has gone several nights without sleep due to a persistent bedbug infestation in his prison cell at Luzira Upper Prison
“Dr. Besigye told me personally during a court appearance that he cannot sleep because of the bedbugs,” Ssemujju said. “We are beginning to fear that the state is using these inhumane conditions as a slow method of assassination.”
According to the PFF, the infestation is not an isolated incident but part of a deliberate campaign of slow torture. Ssemujju alleged that Dr. Besigye was initially placed in a well-lit cell, only to be moved to a darker, more isolated room, and now lives under “unspeakable” conditions.
“This is how they operate when they can’t kill you with a gun,” he said. “They’ll kill you with bedbugs, sleep deprivation, and psychological torment.”
Dr. Besigye was abducted in October 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, while attending a book launch, and transferred to Uganda where he was held incommunicado for four days at Makindye Military Barracks. He was later charged before the General Court Martial for unlawful possession of firearms and has been on remand for close to 200 days.
Ssemujju cited Article 23 of the Ugandan Constitution, which mandates that suspects in capital offenses must be granted bail if not committed to the High Court within 180 days. He also referenced the Human Rights Enforcement Act of 2019, which requires that courts halt proceedings to first address any human rights violations raised.
“Dr. Besigye’s detention is now illegal. The constitution says so. The court must release him immediately,” Ssemujju demanded. “If the judiciary respects the law, he should be free already.”
The PFF argues that the Ugandan state is using both legal manipulation and physical hardship to weaken the opposition figure, likening the treatment to past cases where political prisoners reportedly died shortly after release from similar conditions.
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Ssemujju issued a warning to President Yoweri Museveni, urging him to “return to constitutional order” before the situation sparks broader unrest. “You have only one option left respect the Constitution. Otherwise, this country will explode in your face.”
As of this writing, prison authorities and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) had not responded to the allegations of inhumane treatment or the worsening health of Dr. Besigye
