KAMPALA, Uganda | July 8, 2026 — The High Court has dismissed a fresh bail application filed by veteran opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye and his aide Haji Obeid Lutale, ruling that the two accused failed to properly prosecute their request for temporary release.
Justice Emmanuel Baguma delivered the ruling electronically through the Judiciary’s Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS), ending the latest attempt by Besigye and Lutale to secure bail as they await trial on charges of treason and misprision of treason.
The application had stalled after the two accused declined to proceed with the hearing without their preferred legal representatives, led by senior counsel Martha Karua and Erias Lukwago. They argued that the lawyers had been unable to effectively represent them due to what they described as intimidation, arrests and other actions that had interfered with their constitutional right to legal representation.
In their bail application, Besigye, 69, and Lutale, 66, argued that they qualified for release because of their advanced age, fixed places of residence, absence of previous criminal convictions and their record of complying with earlier bail conditions.
They also told court that investigations into the case had been completed and that their proposed sureties were ready and willing to ensure they returned to court whenever required.
The pair is jointly charged with UPDF officer Captain Denis Oola over allegations that, between 2023 and 2024, they participated in a plot with other individuals still at large in Uganda, Kenya, Greece and Switzerland to overthrow the Ugandan government through armed force.
They also face a charge of misprision of treason, for allegedly failing to disclose information about the purported plot to authorities.
The accused have denied all the charges and maintained their innocence.
The dismissal means Besigye and Lutale will remain on remand at Luzira Prison as the High Court moves toward hearing the substantive treason case, which remains one of Uganda’s most closely watched legal proceedings involving opposition figures.
The case has attracted significant public attention, with defence lawyers and opposition supporters raising concerns over the accused persons’ rights to a fair trial and adequate legal representation, while government authorities have maintained that the matter is before court and will be determined through the judicial process.
