Agency
The High Court in Kampala has postponed the much-anticipated treason trial involving retired Colonel Dr. Kizza Besigye, his co-accused Hajji Obeid Lutale, and UPDF Captain Dennis Oola, after two of the accused failed to appear in court due to ill health.
The case, which had been scheduled to open on Monday before Justice Emmanuel Baguma, stalled when Besigye and Lutale failed to show up. Only Captain Oola was present in court.
Prosecutors Lino Anguzu and Thomas Jatiko, together with Chief State Attorneys Richard Birivumbuka and Joseph Kyomuhendo, appeared on behalf of the state. The defence team was led by prominent Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua, Kampala City Lord Mayor and lawyer Erias Lukwago, and advocate Ernest Kalibbala.
Anguzu questioned prison authorities about the absence of Besigye and Lutale, since both had been remanded to Luzira Prison during the last session. But Justice Baguma then presented two handwritten letters, dated September 1, 2025, from the accused to the Deputy Registrar. In them, the two men explained they were unwell and requested a postponement.
Under Ugandan law, a criminal trial cannot proceed in the absence of an accused person except under very limited circumstances. The state did not object to the adjournment, but the defence expressed surprise, saying they had not been notified of their clients’ condition. They also indicated that they intended to raise additional concerns once all the accused were present.
After considering the submissions, Justice Baguma ruled that all three accused must be present before plea-taking could proceed. He stressed that Captain Oola could not be arraigned separately and adjourned the matter to October 1, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. The accused persons remain on remand at Luzira Prison.
Dr Besigye, Lutale, and Oola are facing charges of treason and concealment of treason. The state alleges that between 2023 and November 2024, the trio conspired to overthrow the Ugandan government. Prosecutors claim they coordinated activities across international locations, including Geneva, Athens, Nairobi, and Kampala.
Besigye is further accused of collaborating with foreign agents, among them a Kurdish intelligence officer, to acquire weapons and devise sabotage strategies. He allegedly received USD 5,000 to facilitate the movement of Ugandans to Kenya for paramilitary training, with Lutale and Oola contributing to the plan.
The prosecution intends to present a range of evidence, including surveillance footage, audio recordings, immigration data, phone logs, and witness testimony.
This is not the first time that Dr Besigye has faced treason charges. In 2006, he was accused of treason, rape, and concealment of treason, charges that were eventually dismissed. He has been arraigned multiple times on various charges, often in different parts of the country. Yet, no court has ever convicted him.
A four-time presidential candidate, Besigye maintains that the cases against him are politically motivated, describing them as “persecution rather than prosecution.”
The October trial date is now awaited with keen public and political interest, as it promises to be one of the most closely watched cases in Uganda’s recent history. It also comes at a time of another election cycle.
