Byanyima Urges DPP to Support Besigye’s Bail
Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate and opposition leader, has been in Luzira Prison since his arrest in Kenya last November on treason charges.
Winnie Byanyima has called on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Jane Frances Abodo, to refrain from opposing her husband Dr Kizza Besigye’s bail application, arguing that his continued detention is unjust and politically motivated.
Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate and opposition leader, has been in Luzira Prison since his arrest in Kenya last November on treason charges.
Byanyima criticised the government's handling of the case, noting that the authorities initially claimed to have enough evidence for a swift trial but have now kept Besigye behind bars for nearly four months without progress.
“If the State has a case, let them allow him bail and summon him when ready,” she stated.
Besigye, along with his co-accused Obeid Lutale, faces charges of treason and misprision of treason, accused of soliciting weapons and financial support to allegedly overthrow the government.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling that halted the trial of civilians in military courts—where Besigye was first arraigned—his bail application was dismissed by the High Court on February 24, with Justice Douglas Singiza ruling that his remand by the Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court was legally justified.
His legal team, including Erias Lukwago, Medard Lubega Sseggona, and Samuel Muyizzi Mulindwa, has accused state prosecutors of using “legal gymnastics” to delay the case.
They argue that his continued detention violates his constitutional right to a fair and timely trial.
However, state attorneys, led by Thomas Jatiko and Richard Birivumbuka, insist that the six-month investigation period remains in effect and that disclosing evidence prematurely could jeopardise ongoing inquiries.
Besigye recently ended a hunger strike protesting his detention. Meanwhile, the DPP’s office has distanced itself from his prolonged incarceration, with deputy spokesperson Irene Nakimbugwe stating that the discretion to grant bail lies with the court, not the prosecution.
Besigye is set to appear before Nakawa Magistrates Court on March 14 for a fresh bail hearing. It remains to be seen whether he will finally be granted temporary freedom.
