Uganda moves opposition figure’s treason trial to civil court

Ugandan authorities said Friday they had abandoned a bid to try opposition leader Kizza Besigye for treason in a military court, passing the case to a civilian tribunal and prompting him to end his hunger strike.

Besigye, 68, is a leading opponent of President Yoweri Museveni — in power for nearly 40 years — whom he has unsuccessfully challenged in four elections.

He was abducted in Kenya in November and had been facing the death penalty on treason charges in a military court, accused of plotting against Museveni’s government, in a case condemned by human rights groups.

Uganda’s Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka told AFP on Friday that the government had “transferred all cases involving civilians, including that of Kizza Besigye, from the military courts to the civilian courts”, in line with a ruling issued on January 31 by the country’s highest tribunal.

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“Besigye’s case is now before the civil court and not the general court martial,” Kiwanuka added.
Besigye was taken into a civilian court in Kampala in a wheelchair on Friday to hear the newly-formulated charges against him, one of his lawyers, Ernest Kalibala, told AFP.

He was charged with plotting “by force of arms to overturn the government of Uganda”, according to the charge sheet seen by AFP.

He is accused of the plot alongside his longtime party ally Obeid Lutale and a military officer, Denis Oola.

Kalibala said they were remanded in custody until March 7 and would be later summoned to a higher court to make their plea.

Another of his lawyers, Erias Lukwago, welcomed the court move but called it “overdue”.

Besigye “informed me that since he has been formally charged and taken to a civil court, he has achieved his goal and has decided to call off the hunger strike” he started on February 10, Lukwago told AFP.

The United Nations and several rights organisations have voiced concern about the suppression of the opposition in Uganda in the run-up to presidential elections in 2026.