Uganda judge denies bail to opposition figure News
Kateregga1, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Uganda judge denies bail to opposition figure

A Ugandan judge on Friday denied bail to opposition figure Kizza Besigye, jailed for nearly nine months on treason charges, ruling that the constitutionally mandated 180-day remand had not reached term.

Justice Emmanuel Baguma held that the High Court recognized the remand period to be February 21, 202—the date Besigye and businessman Obeid Lutale were charged—not November 20, 2024, when they were detained by the General Court Martial.

In a post on X, Martha Karua, a member of Besigye’s defense team, described the ruling as a violation of the Constitution, warning that it creates a “bad precedent” for Uganda. Erias Lukwago, Besigye’s defense spokesperson, noted that the law is on Besigye’s side, urging the judge to “stand on his two feet and then make the right decision.”

Article 23(6)(c) of the Ugandan Constitution mandates that if an accused person has been remanded “in custody for one hundred and eight days before the case is committed to the High Court,” the person should be released on bail on conditions deemed reasonable by the court.

Additionally, Article 28(3)(a) stipulates that “every person who is charged with a criminal offense shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty” by a competent court.

In February, Amnesty International and other human rights organizations issued a joint statement demanding the release of Besigye and several other individuals, considered by the groups as “unlawfully detained.” The statement was issued after the Ugandan Supreme Court ruled that trying civilians in military courts was unconstitutional.

Following the decision, however, Besigye and Lutale were moved from military to civilian court without being released. In June, President Yoweri Museveni signed into law the re-authorization of military tribunals for civilians, with human rights groups condemning the move as an attempt to undermine the judiciary and repress the opposition ahead of 2026 general elections.

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