Former Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura has said jailed opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye is undergoing speech and physical therapy to help him regain his voice and mobility, three months after he collapsed in court and was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).
Nyanjura’s disclosure points to an ongoing recovery process for the veteran opposition figure, who has remained in detention amid concerns about his health.
According to Nyanjura, the therapy is aimed at helping Besigye recover his ability to speak and move following the medical emergency.
Nyanjura said she was distressed to find the veteran opposition figure struggling to speak and move following the medical emergency.
“Three months since he collapsed, I finally had the opportunity to see and meet my leader,” Nyanjura wrote on social media on Tuesday.
“It broke my heart to see that he is now being taught how to walk and talk again,” she added.
Nyanjura said a speech therapist was using a chart with simple words, including “dog” and “boy”, to help Besigye practise speaking, but he had not yet managed to pronounce them.
“He hears very well, but he is not able to talk yet,” she said.
According to Nyanjura, Besigye communicates by pointing to letters on an alphabet chart, which visitors use to form words and sentences. She said he also uses sign language when he becomes tired of spelling out his thoughts.
Despite his speech difficulties, Nyanjura said Besigye remained mentally alert and able to follow conversations.
She also described his physical weakness, saying he struggled to hold a bottle of water because his hands were shaky and lacked strength.
Nyanjura said Besigye told her he could not remember the events surrounding his collapse in court and recalled only waking up days later in the intensive care unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Besigye collapsed during proceedings at the High Court in Kampala on July 29, 2026, while facing treason charges. He was rushed to Mulago Hospital, where he was admitted to intensive care.
The People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) has also confirmed that Besigye is receiving rehabilitation. Acting party president Dr Lulume Bayiga said he and Dr Ebuku Ekwaru visited Besigye on October 17 at a military health facility in Lubowa.
Bayiga said Besigye was conscious, could hear well and appeared to retain his memory and reasoning abilities, although he had not regained his speech.
He said a speech therapist was helping Besigye work towards recovering his voice, while a physiotherapist was assisting him with exercises aimed at restoring his ability to walk.
The party has not provided a timeline for his recovery. It has said Besigye’s immediate concern is to secure bail to access further medical treatment before returning to court.
Besigye has been in detention since November 2024, when he was arrested in Kenya and brought to Uganda. He faces treason charges alongside his co-accused, Obeid Lutale. The charges have been denied by the accused and described by their allies as politically motivated.
