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Dr. Kizza Besigye, a longtime Ugandan opposition figure and four-time presidential candidate, has spent much of his political career challenging President Yoweri Museveni’s decades-long rule. A former ally turned fierce critic, Besigye has been arrested, detained, and placed under house arrest multiple times over the years. His latest imprisonment, which began in November 2024, has once again ignited debates over political repression in Uganda.
Now, as his health deteriorates behind bars, Uganda’s judiciary faces mounting pressure to rule on the legality of his detention. On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, High Court Judge Douglas Karekona Singiza announced that a decision on Besigye’s case will be delivered no later than February 25, 2025. Until then, the ailing opposition leader, his aide Obeid Lutale, and one of their lawyers will remain in detention.
The case has drawn widespread condemnation from opposition leaders, human rights activists, and legal bodies, all of whom accuse the Ugandan government of defying a Supreme Court order that deemed military trials for civilians unconstitutional.
At the heart of the legal dispute is a landmark ruling by Uganda’s Supreme Court on January 31, 2025. The court declared that the General Court Martial—often used to prosecute political opponents—had no jurisdiction over civilians and ordered that all such cases be transferred to competent civilian courts.
Despite this ruling, the Ugandan government has yet to implement the decision, leaving Besigye and others still facing military prosecution. Justice Singiza acknowledged that Besigye had been presented in court but stressed that the key issue now was the legality of his continued detention.
The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has since weighed in, issuing a protest letter on Monday demanding swift legal proceedings and accusing authorities of delaying justice.
Besigye’s prolonged incarceration has sparked outrage among opposition leaders and activists, many of whom view his detention as politically motivated.
Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine and leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), condemned the court’s decision, calling it an extension of state persecution.
“The cadre judge and the regime are persecuting Kizza Besigye and other political prisoners in the name of prosecution. My only call to Ugandans here and abroad is to continue exerting pressure. We’re not going to stop. We gave the regime 48 hours to release Dr. Besigye because we want him alive. They are trying to kill him,” Bobi Wine said.
Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, a prominent diplomat and executive director of UNAIDS, expressed her frustration and grief over the ruling.
“I came here expecting to take him home today. I’m devastated but not surprised. Besigye is a captive. He was kidnapped, and he’s in captivity, as we all are. Museveni has put all of us in captivity. Shame on this cadre judge for sending my husband back to jail when his health is deteriorating fast.”
Besigye’s imprisonment has been further complicated by reports of declining health. Having been on a hunger strike for several weeks, his condition has worsened, raising fears among his supporters. On Sunday, he was briefly taken to a private clinic in Bugolobi for medical tests before being returned to prison. However, his family and allies insist that he requires urgent medical attention outside state custody.
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