Nairobi, Kenya- Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has boycotted the opening of his long-delayed treason trial, accusing the presiding judge of bias in a case that has drawn international scrutiny.
Besigye, 69, and his co-accused, Obeid Lutale, refused to appear in court on Monday, insisting they will not take part in a process they believe is rigged against them.
Their lawyer, Erias Lukwago, told AFP that the two demanded Judge Emmanuel Baguma recuse himself after denying them bail, but he refused.
“They have decided not to appear before him until another judge is appointed,” Lukwago said.
Besigye faces the death penalty if convicted, though rights groups worldwide have dismissed the treason charges as politically motivated.
The Timeline Dispute
At the center of the legal row is a dispute over how long Besigye has been held without trial. Uganda’s law caps pre-trial detention at six months, but last month Judge Baguma ruled the countdown only started in February—when charges were formally read—rather than in November, when Besigye was abducted in Kenya and secretly transferred to a Ugandan military prison.
Lukwago called the ruling “absurd,” while rights groups say it underscores why Besigye cannot get a fair hearing.
Politics Behind the Case
Besigye, a four-time challenger of President Yoweri Museveni, has long been a thorn in the side of the government. His abduction and trial come months before Uganda’s 2026 election, where the 80-year-old Museveni is expected to seek another term.
In June, Besigye’s wife, UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima, described his detention as “political” and “inhumane.”
The case, initially tried in a military court, was shifted to a civilian court after the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to try civilians before military tribunals.
But Museveni has since signed a new law reinstating military trials for civilians under “exceptional circumstances,” raising fears of further politicized prosecutions.
