Police have blocked Dr. Kizza Besigye’s lawyers from accessing the Judiciary headquarters. The lawyers, including Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua, Eron Kizza, Kiwanuka Abdallah, and others, were seeking audience with Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo.
Journalists were also barred from entering the premises, despite the lawyers’ insistence on being accompanied by the media.
The lawyers were following up on the Constitutional Court’s ruling, which declared the trial of civilians at the General Court Martial unconstitutional.
“We were seeking an audience with the Chief Justice regarding the trial of Besigye in the General Court Martial,” Lukwago said.
“We came to see the Chief Justice to discuss matters of justice. What is happening now is similar to what occurred yesterday at the General Court Martial. We were barred and then allowed in, which paints a troubling picture of the judiciary,” Martha Karua stated.
In 2021, the Constitutional Court halted the trial of civilians in the General Court Martial, ruling that such trials violate the Ugandan Constitution. The ruling followed a petition by former Nakawa East MP Michael Kabaziguruka, who challenged his trial in the General Court Martial in Makindye.
Kabaziguruka argued that the General Court Martial lacked jurisdiction to try him, as it was not a competent court established under constitutional authority. A panel of four out of five judges ruled in his favor.
The court also ruled that suspects not subject to military law should have their cases transferred to the High Court Criminal Division for retrial.
Besigye, who retired from the army on October 20, 2000, according to his discharge certificate, and Hajj Obedi Kamulegeya are facing multiple charges, including possession of firearms at Riverside Apartments in Nairobi, Kenya, and allegedly holding meetings in Greece and Switzerland with the intent to undermine the security of the Ugandan army. Both men are currently being held in remand at Luzira Prison.
