KAMPALA, Uganda — The High Court in Kampala has for the fourth time denied bail to veteran opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye and his co-accused, Hajji Obeid Lutale.
In a significant ruling delivered on Monday, December 29, 2025, the court also dismissed an application to halt their trial, ordering the duo to enter their pleas immediately.
Presiding Judge Emmanuel Baguma ruled that the criminal proceedings against Dr. Besigye, Hajji Lutale, and UPDF Captain Denis Oola would proceed despite a pending constitutional petition.
The defense had sought to pause the trial, arguing that the High Court should wait for the Constitutional Court’s interpretation of several legal issues surrounding the case.
However, Justice Baguma maintained that filing a petition does not grant an automatic halt to a trial.
“This application seeks two orders: a stay of the hearing of the criminal trial pending the resolution of a constitutional petition and release of the applicants on bail,” Justice Baguma said at the outset of his ruling.
Drawing a clear legal boundary, the judge noted: “From the onset, I have to draw a distinction between a stay of proceedings and a constitutional petition. In the instant case, it is not in dispute that the applicants petitioned the Constitutional Court directly, which does not warrant an automatic stay as counsel laboured to convince court.”
The ruling marks the latest setback for the opposition figure, who has been in custody since his high-profile abduction from Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2024. This was the fourth attempt by his legal team—led by Ernest Kalibbala and Erias Lukwago—to secure his temporary release.
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The prosecution, led by Chief State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka, successfully argued that the application for a stay was an “abuse of court process” intended to frustrate the trial.
The State maintained that the court lacked the jurisdiction to halt proceedings based on a petition in a higher court.
Dr. Besigye and his co-accused face charges of treason and misprision of treason. The prosecution alleges that between 2023 and 2024, the group conspired in various locations—including Switzerland, Greece, Kenya, and Uganda—to overthrow the Ugandan government by force of arms.
Despite the defense’s arguments regarding the accused’s advanced ages (69 and 66) and their previous history of complying with bail terms, Justice Baguma ordered that the trial move into the plea-taking phase.
