The Eighth Benedicto Kiwanuka Memorial Lecture began with a march of judiciary officials led by Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo in honour of Uganda’s first post-independence Chief Justice, who was abducted and killed by Idi Amin’s regime in 1972.
Keynote speaker Gimara used the event to question why courts continue to deny Besigye bail despite prolonged delays in his trial.
“If Besigye can't be bailed out, why doesn't his trial progress? Judges ought to grant bail if prosecution is dragging, this will wake them up,” Gimara said.
“We should let the law guide us on the Kabaziguruka judgment implementation and stop tossing around.”
Gimara’s remarks referenced the Supreme Court’s landmark January ruling that barred the trial of civilians in military courts — a decision yet to be fully implemented in Besigye’s case.
Besigye, abducted from Nairobi in November 2024 alongside his associate Obeid Lutale, was charged before the General Court Martial and has now spent 300 days in detention.
Yesterday, Internal Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire, a former bush war comrade of Besigye, added his voice at the Sam Kalega Njuba Memorial Lecture, saying the opposition leader should either be tried in court or released.
“Besigye should be tried in court and condemned or absolved; we don’t know what he did,” Otafiire said.
He also warned the law fraternity against silence in the face of injustice: “I was here during Obote I and Amin’s regime — and I can tell you, some of the things happening today are simply unacceptable. Ladies and gentlemen, do not die in the sin of silence.”
Besigye has repeatedly been denied bail, including after surpassing the constitutional threshold of 180 days of detention without trial.
The prolonged detention has reignited debates on the independence of Uganda’s judiciary, adherence to constitutional safeguards, and the erosion of legal protections for political opposition.
The memorial highlighted the legacy of Benedicto Kiwanuka, Uganda’s first Chief Justice, who became a symbol of the rule of law and judicial independence before his abduction and murder in 1972.
Observers note uncomfortable parallels between Kiwanuka’s fate under military rule and Besigye’s prolonged detention today.