Opposition leader and four-time presidential candidate Kizza Besigye will remain in custody beyond, after the State filed fresh treason charges against him. Besigye, alongside his associate Obeid Lutale, appeared before the Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court, where they were charged with treason, a capital offense that the lower court cannot hear.
The pair's trial was transferred from the General Court Martial, which was declared an unlawful forum for trying civilians. This development marks a significant escalation in the case, with Besigye facing treason charges for the second time.
In 2005, he was accused of leading the People's Redemption Army, a rebel group started by renegade UPDF officers.
According to the charge sheet, Besigye, Lutale, and a UPDF soldier, Captain Denis Oola, are accused of conspiring to overthrow the government by force. The prosecution alleges that they traveled to various countries, including Switzerland, Greece, and Kenya, to attend meetings and further their plot.
The magistrate did not allow the accused to take a plea, citing the capital nature of the offenses, which can only be heard in the High Court. Besigye and Lutale have been remanded until March 7, 2025, for mention.
