Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has said President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has no legal authority to interfere in the case involving opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye, stressing that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) operates independently.
Tayebwa made the remarks amid growing concern from residents of the Kigezi sub-region, particularly Rukungiri District, over the continued detention of Dr. Besigye.
Dr Besigye and his co-accused, Hajj Obeid Lutale have been in detention for more than a year following their abduction in Nairobi on November 16, 2024, and their subsequent transfer to Kampala.
The two were later charged before the General Court Martial. Since then, various groups and individuals have demanded Besigye’s release, while the government has largely remained silent on the matter.
Addressing a press conference in Rukungiri Municipality on Thursday night, attended by the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, and the Minister for Security, Gen Jim Muhwezi, Tayebwa said the President cannot influence the case at any stage before conviction.
He explained that the DPP does not take instructions from any individual and that the evidence presented indicates Besigye has a case to answer.
Tayebwa added that presidential intervention is only possible after conviction, should the accused seek a pardon.
“If the defence is ready to proceed with the case immediately, according to the DPP, all the necessary evidence is already in place,” Tayebwa said.
Meanwhile, Minister Baryomunsi expressed concern that some Ugandans have politicised Besigye’s arrest due to his prominence as an opposition leader, rather than allowing the legal process to take its course.