The Judiciary has announced revised security and media access guidelines ahead of the treason trial involving veteran opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye, Hajji Obeid Lutale and UPDF officer Capt. Denis Oola, revealing that the measures are intended to ensure orderly proceedings while protecting the constitutional right to a fair and public hearing.
In a news release issued on Wednesday, July 29, the Judiciary said the new arrangements are part of security plans for proceedings before the Criminal Division of the High Court in Kampala.
According to the Judiciary, access to the courtroom will be tightly controlled, with only judicial and non judicial court staff, the accused persons, state and defence lawyers, accredited journalists and members of the public admitted, subject to the available space.
“These measures are intended to solely ensure security, orderly proceedings and continued public access to the hearing while preserving the integrity of the judicial process and the constitutional principle of open justice,” the Judiciary said in the statement.
The Judiciary also directed all journalists intending to cover the trial to obtain prior accreditation through its Public Relations Office, warning that the number of reporters allowed inside the courtroom may be restricted depending on available space.
“All journalists intending to cover the trial should secure prior accreditation from Judiciary’s Public Relations Officer. The Court reserves the right to limit the number of court reporters in the court depending on the space available,”Judiciary added.
Under the new guidelines, reporters will be required to submit cameras, laptops, audio recorders and other electronic equipment for security screening every time they attend court.
Requests for live broadcasts of the proceedings will also require prior approval from the Judiciary and will be considered on a case by case basis.
Photography and videography inside the courtroom will remain restricted, with images of the trial judge and witnesses only permitted after receiving authorization from the court.
The Judiciary further announced that communication devices including mobile phones, tablets and other smart gadgets will not be allowed inside the courtroom during the hearing.
The latest directives come amid heightened public interest in one of Uganda’s most closely watched criminal cases involving Besigye, a four time presidential candidate and long time government critic, his political associate Hajji Obeid Lutale and Capt. Denis Oola.
The three are facing treason charges after prosecutors accused them of conspiring to overthrow the government through alleged meetings held in Uganda, Kenya, Greece and Switzerland between 2023 and 2024.
The prosecution alleges the accused sought funding, acquired weapons and organized paramilitary activities in furtherance of the alleged plot. The trio has consistently denied the accusations.
The trial has suffered repeated delays, largely due to disputes over legal representation. Besigye and Lutale have insisted on being represented by their preferred legal team led by Kenyan Senior Counsel Martha Karua and former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, arguing that their constitutional right to counsel of their choice should be respected.
The controversy intensified after Karua was denied entry into Uganda and declared persona non grata, while Lukwago was later charged with misprision of treason, developments that the defence says disrupted its legal team.
The prosecution, however, has argued that the accused are represented by numerous advocates and that the absence of specific lawyers should not halt the trial.
Earlier this month, Justice Emmanuel Baguma ruled that the proceedings should continue even if the accused declined to be represented by lawyers of their choice.
The court directed the Registrar to provide Besigye and his co accused with a list of advocates available under the State Brief scheme, warning that if they refused to select counsel, lawyers would be appointed for them to avoid further delays.
The legal representation dispute prompted Besigye and Lutale to file a separate application challenging the court’s handling of the matter.
The application has since been assigned to Justice Simon Peter Kinobe, who directed the parties to file written submissions by August 6, 2026, with a ruling expected on August 13, 2026. That application is expected to determine key questions regarding the accused persons’ right to legal representation before the main trial can proceed.
Court records also show that Besigye’s recent bail application was dismissed after he and Lutale declined to proceed in the absence of their preferred lawyers, with Justice Baguma ruling that the applicants had failed to prosecute their own application despite being represented by several law firms.
