Kizza Besigye, a prominent Ugandan opposition figure and four-time presidential candidate, will face trial on the serious charge of treachery. This development comes ahead of the 2026 presidential elections and adds to the legal troubles Besigye has been facing. He was initially charged with illegal firearm possession and soliciting military support overseas, but the prosecution amended the charges to include treachery.
A prominent opposition figure in Uganda , Kizza Besigye , will face trial on the serious charge of treachery, according to a military court ruling on Tuesday. This development significantly escalates the legal challenges Besigye is contending with ahead of the 2026 presidential elections. Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, went missing in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 16th. Days later, he and his co-accused, assistant Obeid Lutale, appeared before a military court in Kampala, Uganda .
Initially, Besigye was charged with illegal firearm possession and soliciting military support overseas to destabilize national security. He vehemently denied these charges but has since been detained. On Monday, the prosecution amended the charge sheet to include treachery and introduce a third suspect, a serving army officer, surprising defense attorneys who immediately challenged this move. Besigye, at 68 years old, has a long history of facing arrests and assaults throughout his political career, but he has never been convicted of a crime. Amnesty International has demanded Besigye's release, asserting that his 'abduction clearly violated international human rights law and the process of extradition with its requisite fair trial protections.' Human Rights Watch echoes this sentiment, stating that Besigye's trial is 'the latest example of Uganda's authorities misusing military courts and military-related charges to clamp down on the opposition.' The unfolding trial of Besigye is being closely monitored by Ugandans who are apprehensive about the political maneuvering in the lead-up to the presidential elections. While Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, is anticipated to seek re-election, some observers believe he may choose to step down. Museveni lacks a clear successor within the ruling National Resistance Movement party, contributing to widespread anxieties about an unpredictable political transition. Besigye, a qualified physician with a background in the Ugandan military (retired at the rank of colonel), is a former president of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party. Under his leadership, the FDC was for many years Uganda's most prominent opposition group. Besigye is a vocal critic of Museveni, for whom he previously served as a military assistant and personal doctor before their relationship deteriorated in the 1990s due to Besigye's concerns about Museveni's slide into authoritarianism
Uganda Kizza Besigye Opposition Treachery Elections Military Court Human Rights Yoweri Museveni Forum For Democratic Change (FDC)
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