Veteran politician, Dr Kiiza Besigye will appear before a civilian court on Wednesday, 19 February 2025 following intense parliamentary pressure.
Besigye’s continued detention and health condition was the center of debate during the plenary on 18 February 2025.
Besigye and Hajji Obeid Lutale were arrested and faced the General Court Martial over alleged illegal possession of firearms.
The announcement regarding Dr. Kiiza Besigye’scourt appearance was made by the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Norbert Mao. “By the time we arrived at the court, Dr. Besigye’s lawyers had been in discussions with the Judiciary, and they agreed to reschedule the case that was originally set for Tuesday, February 25, 2025. It is now scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, February 19, 2025. During this session, the court will provide the necessary directions, and they will adhere to the ruling,” stated Mao.
This followed Speaker Anita Among communication to the House where she expressed concern about Besigye’s continued detention at Luzira Maximum Prison, despite a Supreme Court ruling on 31 January 2025 that called for a fair trial before a competent court of law.
Speaker Among raised questions regarding the government’s adherence to the ruling, querying the legal basis for his prolonged detention and requesting clarity on how long it would take for all civilian cases to be transferred to civilian courts.
She also urged the government to address Besigye’s deteriorating health.
“As a House of Representatives, we are a voice of the voiceless. We are elected to speak for those people out there who cannot be in this House. If we cannot do that, then we are not representing our people. Injustice to anyone is injustice to everybody. Today it is happening to Dr. Besigye, tomorrow it will happen to any one of us,” she said.
Among also warned of the dangerous precedent set by continuing to detain an unwell individual under harsh conditions stating, ’there is a need to explore other appropriate modalities of confinement, if necessary, than keeping the ailing suspect in unfavorable conditions that may potentially be fatal’.
Minister Mao updated the House on Besigye’s health saying that the Opposition leader has been on hunger strike for six days and that his condition had worsened, prompting an evacuation to the hospital.
“Under all the laws of Uganda, any person, especially those who are having health issues, are entitled to treatment. Besigye has been taken to the hospital for tests, and prison authorities were managing his condition,’ Mao said.
Mao detailed the steps taken by the Attorney General’s Office in response to the Supreme Court ruling.
He explained that the Attorney General had written to the Ministry of Defence and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and requested the Chief Justice to appoint a judicial officer to oversee the transfer.
The Speaker, however, questioned the delay saying that, ’the bureaucracy in addressing the directive of the Supreme Court should not delay justice. Just because of the bureaucracy? They are on pre-trial, not yet tried’.
The Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Gen. David Muhoozi acknowledged the complexities of the case, suggesting a more balanced approach that would consider Besigye’s health, legal rights, and the judicial process.
At that point, Speaker Among suspended the proceedings of the House to have members of Executive and the Opposition to meet and forge a way forward.
On resumption, the Speaker informed the House that Cabinet Ministers had gone to seek clarity on the way forward.
Later, the Justice Minister provided feedback on the appearance of Besigye in court.
The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, praised the House for asserting its authority in addressing Besigye’s detention. He remarked, “We should not always wait for lengthy discussions. For certain matters, we should take action promptly. Why do we need to wait for us to come here, raise our voices, and say, ‘Madam Speaker, this matter is now urgent’?”
