The High Court has set December 22, 2025, as the date it will rule on whether the treason trial of Rt Col Dr Kizza Besigye and his co-accused should be temporarily halted until a Constitutional Court petition is resolved.
The defence team recently petitioned the Constitutional Court, arguing that trial judge Emmanuel Baguma should not preside over the matter. They want all High Court proceedings suspended until that petition is disposed of.
The dispute escalated after a tense standoff in court where Besigye, Hajji Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya, and Capt Dennis Oola declined to take plea.
Their lawyers insisted the trial could not proceed while a constitutional challenge remained pending.
Defence attorney Ernest Kalibbala told court that allowing the case to continue would violate due process. “We have already filed an application before the Constitutional Court,” he said.
“Justice Baguma should stay these proceedings until that matter is fully addressed.”
His colleague Martha Karua backed the request, saying the integrity of the judicial process was now a central concern.
Opposition lawyer Erias Lukwago, representing Besigye, accused the state of trying to push the case forward despite unresolved constitutional issues. “Our clients cannot be forced into a trial whose very foundation is being challenged,” he said. “The court must first determine whether Justice Baguma can even preside over this matter.”
However, state prosecutor Thomas Jatiko urged the court to proceed. “The state is fully ready to begin,” he said.
“The public deserves justice, and unnecessary delays only frustrate the justice system.”
Justice Baguma postponed the matter, setting December 22 not only to hear the defence application but also to deliver his delayed ruling on the accused’s bail request.
Speaking to journalists after the session, Lukwago noted that the accused have spent more than a year on remand without taking plea.
“They have never been formally charged in open court,” he said. “Every effort to secure bail or challenge the trial process has been dismissed. We hope this time justice will prevail.”
The case continues.