Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has refused to accept court-appointed lawyers for his ongoing treason trial, citing lack of confidence in the state-approved legal team. Besigye's preferred lawyers have faced severe obstacles: his main lawyer, former Kampala mayor Erias Lukwago, was arrested by the army and jailed last month, while another lead lawyer, Kenya's Martha Karua, was barred from entering Uganda.

Besigye, 70, a long-time rival of President Yoweri Museveni, has been detained since late 2024 after being kidnapped in Kenya and smuggled back to Uganda. His trial, initially set to begin in September 2025, faced delays as the state only presented evidence in June 2026, coinciding with his loss of access to his chosen lawyers.

When the treason trial commenced on Monday, the court mandated Besigye to select from a list of state-approved lawyers, a condition he has rejected. "The legal team we had is one in whose competence we placed full confidence," Besigye told the court on Wednesday, adding, "We know this trial won't be fair. Our rights have been abused and laws are not followed. We no longer wish to be part of it."

The presiding judge granted Besigye two weeks to accept the court-appointed lawyers and adjourned the case until July 29, 2026. Besigye's case was transferred from a military court to a civilian court after the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to try civilians in military courts.

Since winning a seventh term in January 2026, President Museveni, 81, has taken a less active role, with his son and army head, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, increasingly exerting control.

Sources