The legal team representing jailed opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye and his counterpart Obeid Lutale spent Tuesday scrambling between government offices, seeking their clients’ release following last week’s Supreme Court ruling barring the trial of civilians in military courts.
Three days after the landmark judgment, confusion remains over who is responsible for implementing the decision.
While the General Court Martial has suspended its proceedings in compliance with the ruling, no clear steps have been taken to free civilians like Besigye and Lutale, who remain behind bars.
“We are here to meet the Attorney General to find out when they will release Besigye,” one of the lawyers told reporters outside the Attorney General’s office, where the legal team spent hours in discussions.
After their meeting, they emerged with an update: the Attorney General had written to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to take over the cases and to the Chief Justice to assign them to civilian courts.
But this was not the answer they had hoped for.
“The ruling said ‘with immediate effect,’ yet the Attorney General has not given any direction regarding Besigye’s release,” another lawyer lamented.
In search of further clarification, the legal team proceeded to Luzira Prison to demand answers from the Commissioner General of Prisons, Johnson Byabashaija.
The media was once again denied access, and after four hours inside, the lawyers returned empty-handed.
“They’ve sent us back to the Attorney General,” said Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, a member of Besigye’s legal team. “It’s like they are waiting for some order from somewhere, but we don’t know where.”
The continued detention of Besigye and Lutale has drawn international attention, with rights groups commending Uganda’s judiciary for its ruling while calling on the government to respect the rule of law.
“We are watching closely to see if they will uphold the decision,” one observer noted.
As the standoff continues, Besigye’s legal team insists they will not relent in their efforts to secure his freedom.
