KAMPALA, Uganda — On Friday, opposition leader Kizza Besigye faced treason charges, marking a significant intensification of his legal issues linked to claims he tried to forcibly overthrow the nation’s long-serving president.
The four-time presidential candidate appeared in court in Kampala while using a wheelchair. In Uganda, treason is a capital offense that can lead to the death penalty.
Since November 16, Besigye has been detained, having gone missing from Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. Soon after, he was presented to a military tribunal in Kampala, confronting accusations related to threats against national security.
Last month, the Supreme Court intervened and halted his military trial on the grounds that civilians cannot be tried by court-martial. Despite pleas from his family, supporters, and advocacy groups for his immediate release, he remained in a maximum-security facility, subsequently initiating a hunger strike.
His recent appearances in court have raised concerns regarding his health, with many fearing that any harm he endures while imprisoned could lead to widespread unrest throughout the country. Many citizens are calling for his release on compassionate grounds.
Amnesty International has echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that Besigye’s “abduction clearly breached international human rights laws as well as the necessary fair trial protections.”
This is not the first time Besigye has encountered treason charges; a previous case filed in 2005 did not progress. In the current allegations, he and his associates are accused of participating in meetings across Europe where Besigye supposedly sought various forms of support to upend the Ugandan government, according to the official charges.
His defense team asserts that the charges are politically motivated. Meanwhile, President Yoweri Museveni has stated that Besigye must confront allegations of “serious offenses he is said to have planned.” Museveni has dismissed calls for mercy, advocating instead for a swift trial to reveal the facts.
Many in Uganda are closely monitoring this case as the political landscape shifts in anticipation of the upcoming presidential elections next year. Although Museveni is likely to run for another term, there are speculations he might transfer power to his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the chief of the army, in a nonviolent coup.
The political transition is expected to be unpredictable, given that Museveni lacks a clear successor within the ruling National Resistance Movement party.
Besigye, a physician who retired with the rank of colonel from Uganda’s military, previously led the Forum for Democratic Change party, which has historically been the nation’s foremost opposition group. He has consistently criticized Museveni, who once relied on Besigye as a military aide and personal physician.
Since gaining independence from colonial rule over six decades ago, Uganda has never experienced a peaceful transfer of presidential authority.
