Uganda court denies bail to opposition leader Besigye

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Uganda| Planet & Commerce  

A Ugandan court has refused to grant bail to Dr. Kizza Besigye, the country’s most prominent opposition figure, who has been imprisoned for nearly nine months on treason charges. The decision has ignited a storm of political criticism, fuelling fears of an intensified crackdown on dissent as Uganda heads toward a tense national election early next year.

Judge Emmanuel Baguma ruled on Friday that the 180-day constitutional limit for mandatory bail had not yet elapsed in Besigye’s case. His lawyers had argued that he had already surpassed that period without trial, but the court counted the days only from February 21, when his case was transferred from a military tribunal to a civilian court — effectively resetting the clock.

Once a close ally and personal physician to President Yoweri Museveni, Besigye broke ranks in the late 1990s, emerging as Museveni’s fiercest political rival. He has run against the 80-year-old president in four presidential elections — in 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016 — losing each time but rejecting the results, citing voter intimidation, electoral fraud, and state-orchestrated violence.

Besigye has been arrested dozens of times, often on politically charged accusations, including in 2022 on allegations of inciting violence. He has yet to announce whether he will run again in next year’s polls, but his continuing detention adds to speculation that authorities are seeking to neutralise him ahead of the election.

Besigye’s current ordeal began in November last year, when he was forcibly returned from neighbouring Kenya under circumstances his supporters describe as an “abduction.” He was initially charged before a military tribunal — a move heavily criticised by human rights groups — before the case was eventually moved to civilian jurisdiction in February.

Ugandan authorities accuse him of treason, alleging involvement in activities intended to destabilise the government. Besigye has categorically denied all charges, framing them as an attempt to silence political opposition.

Besigye’s defence team argued that under Ugandan law, a detainee who has been on remand for 180 days without trial should be automatically granted bail. Lawyer Erias Lukwago called Friday’s ruling “absurd,” saying it ignored the months Besigye spent in custody before the case moved to civilian court.

Another defence lawyer, Eron Kiiza, went further, accusing the judiciary of enabling a “total breakdown in constitutional order” in Uganda. “This is a miscarriage of justice,” Lukwago told AFP, stressing that counting from February 21 deprived his client of his constitutional rights by 12 days.

The case unfolds against the backdrop of Uganda’s January 2026 general election, in which Museveni is seeking another term after nearly four decades in power. Opposition leader Bobi Wine — himself a frequent target of arrests and state harassment — has condemned the proceedings as part of a wider campaign to intimidate political rivals.

Rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have warned that Besigye’s detention and treason charges appear politically motivated, designed to weaken the opposition’s capacity to challenge Museveni. The government rejects these claims, insisting that all detentions are based on genuine criminal offences.

Besigye’s repeated arrests mirror a broader pattern of crackdowns on opposition voices in Uganda, where political protests are often met with heavy police and military force. The state’s use of military courts to try civilians — even temporarily, as in Besigye’s case — has been condemned by legal experts as incompatible with international human rights norms.

In 2021, similar legal manoeuvres were used against Bobi Wine’s campaign team and other opposition activists, underscoring what critics describe as Uganda’s “managed democracy” model, where elections occur but opposition participation is curtailed through intimidation and legal harassment.

With Friday’s ruling, Besigye must remain in custody until at least early September unless a higher court intervenes. His lawyers have signalled plans to challenge the decision, potentially escalating the case to Uganda’s Constitutional Court.

As the election season approaches, observers warn that the ruling could deepen political polarisation, galvanising opposition supporters while further entrenching Museveni’s control over the political process. Whether this legal battle becomes a rallying cry for Uganda’s fractured opposition remains to be seen.