Today marks 240 days since the detention of Ugandan opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye and his co-accused Hajj Obeid Lutale — an incarceration their lawyers now describe as a gross miscarriage of justice.
With mounting frustration, the legal team is threatening to confront Uganda's Principal Judge over what they call deliberate sabotage of bail hearings and undue delay in processing the treason case committed to the High Court.
Erias Lukwago, lead counsel for the duo, told journalists at the headquarters of the People's Front for Transition (PFT), a political platform affiliated with Dr Besigye, that the judiciary has refused to move on two bail applications filed in May.
“We filed two bail applications which were allocated to Justice David Matovu, but strangely the matter ended up with Justice Baguma,” Lukwago explained.
“We engaged him, and he plainly told us he would not schedule any hearing for Dr Besigye. When we asked him to return the file, he declined. We've since lodged complaints with the Principal Judge and the Head of the Criminal Division, but nothing has changed. We are in disbelief.”
The delay has left Besigye and Lutale languishing in prison despite being committed for trial on May 30, 2025, by the Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court.
However, Lukwago revealed that the committal file has not been forwarded to the International Crimes Division (ICD) as directed.
“We are shocked that the Nakawa Court still retains a file over which it has no jurisdiction,” he said.
“We reached out to the registrar, and she confirmed the file has not been transmitted. What kind of justice system are we dealing with here?”
The charges against Besigye and Lutale include treason and misprision of treason, stemming from their alleged illegal extradition from Kenya in November 2024, where they had travelled for a book launch.
The pair say they were abducted by armed individuals identifying themselves as Kenyan police officers, only to be handed over at the Malaba border to Ugandan security forces.
Lukwago also revealed that their legal team in Nairobi is finalizing a separate petition against the alleged illegal rendition, which they say violated both Kenya’s and Uganda’s extradition laws. “We’re suing over cross-border violations and accusing the Attorney General of authorising mercenary activity,” he added.
In a sharp ultimatum, Lukwago declared, “We are assembling to face the Principal Judge if nothing changes. We are giving the judiciary one week to schedule this case. Besigye is entitled to a speedy and fair trial. If they can’t prosecute him, they must release him unconditionally.”
Responding to the legal team’s claims, Judiciary spokesperson Justice Ireemye Mawanda denied any effort to suppress the case, but admitted there were delays.
“The court will schedule the matter as soon as the current criminal session concludes,” Mawanda said.
“We acknowledge the delays, particularly on committed matters, but they are procedural and not targeted.”
Still, the prolonged detention — now stretching into eight months without bail or trial — has stoked public concern about political interference in the justice system and erosion of legal safeguards for opposition figures.
The case has become a litmus test for judicial independence and constitutional rights in Uganda, particularly with Besigye’s history of arrests and trials dating back over two decades.
As calls for justice grow louder, the country watches closely to see whether the courts will uphold the rule of law or remain entangled in political inertia.
