The trial of jailed opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye and two others, Hajji Obeid Lutale and Captain Denis Oola, has been adjourned to October 5, 2026. The case, which involves treason charges, was scheduled to be heard on Wednesday, but State Attorneys failed to appear in court at the agreed time. Defence lawyer Farouk Kizito Kamulegeya had informed the court that they had agreed to return at 11 am, but neither the prison authorities nor the State Attorneys had arrived by 11:14 am.
The trial judge, Emmanuel Baguma, expressed frustration over the delay and warned that the next hearing would be the final adjournment of the case. When Kamulegeya asked the court to stand over the matter for 30 minutes to allow the prosecutors time to join the proceedings, Justice Baguma noted that the State Attorneys had been present during the previous session and had not informed him that they would be engaged in another court on Wednesday.
The judge emphasized that the court was not a place for games and adjourned the case to October 5, 2026, for further hearing. Shortly after the case was adjourned, a prison bus arrived carrying the accused persons. The State Attorneys, who had been in another courtroom handling the trial of a suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) commander, rushed to attend the Besigye matter, but Justice Baguma had already left the courtroom.
The case involves allegations that Besigye, Lutale, and Oola plotted to overthrow the government of Uganda. According to the prosecution, the three accused held meetings in Uganda, Kenya, Greece, and Switzerland to solicit funding, acquire weapons, and organise paramilitary activities. They are also accused of seeking to acquire surface-to-air missiles, ricin poison, and counterfeit currency, and planning to use drone technology to assassinate President Yoweri Museveni.
The prosecution presented a Shs59.32 million Makerere University transcription report as evidence, which the defence objected to, arguing that the original flash disk from which the transcription was made had not been tendered in court. The defence cited provisions of the Electronic Evidence Act and the Electronic Transactions Act, raising questions about the authenticity and chain of custody of the electronic evidence.
The court had been expected to rule on the admissibility of the transcription report on Wednesday. The report was presented by the prosecution's second witness, Medadi Ssentanda Erisa, a senior lecturer at Makerere University and an expert in linguistics. Ssentanda testified that he received a flash disk from the Deputy Director of CID/SID containing five audio and video recordings of meetings held in Geneva, Athens, and Nairobi.
The prosecution says it intends to rely on witness testimony, audio and video recordings, social media communications, immigration records, and telephone data as evidence during the trial. The case has been adjourned to October 5, 2026, with the judge warning that this would be the final adjournment.
Key points
- The trial of Dr. Kizza Besigye and two others has been adjourned to October 5, 2026, due to delays caused by State Attorneys.
- The case involves treason charges against Besigye, Lutale, and Oola, who are accused of plotting to overthrow the government of Uganda.
- The prosecution presented a Shs59.32 million Makerere University transcription report as evidence, which the defence objected to, citing concerns about authenticity and chain of custody.
