Fresh details have emerged in the ongoing treason trial involving jailed opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye after a police detective revealed that Makerere University received Shs59.32 million to transcribe audio recordings allegedly linked to meetings involving the opposition figure. Detective Inspector Benedict Odyek told the High Court that the recordings lasted more than 24 hours and were extracted from electronic devices submitted to police for forensic examination. The testimony has added another development to a case involving serious allegations against Besigye and his co-accused.
Odyek, an investigator attached to the Criminal Investigations Directorate headquarters, told the court that he took the recordings to Makerere University’s Centre of Languages in September 2025. According to his testimony, the institution charged Shs40,000 per minute to transcribe the material, which totalled 24 hours, 43 minutes and 15 seconds. He said he first obtained a quotation and invoice on September 3 before returning two days later with a formal request letter and making the payment. The documents were presented during the court proceedings.
The detective explained that the recordings had been extracted from several electronic devices handed to him by Andrew Wilson, also known as Orlando, and Wilson’s friend Moses Barasa. The items reportedly included mobile phones, a hard drive fitted with a concealed camera, a power bank with a hidden camera, a wall socket containing a concealed camera, a magnetic listening device, a watch and a USB cable. Police investigators sought to examine the materials as part of their investigation into allegations of plans to overthrow the Ugandan government.
According to Odyek’s account in court, Wilson allegedly told investigators that the devices had been used to record Besigye, Joel Wakayima and Frank Kihehere during meetings in Geneva, Athens and Nairobi. The detective further testified that Wilson claimed the meetings concerned plans to overthrow the government and alleged that Besigye’s co-accused, Obeid Lutale, attended a Nairobi meeting with a Kurdish associate. These accounts were presented as statements attributed to Wilson and should not be treated as independently established facts.
Odyek also described how police obtained and processed the electronic evidence. He told the court that a magistrate issued an order on March 25, 2025, authorising the police forensic unit to examine the devices, extract information and prepare a report. The materials were subsequently analysed by the Cyber Crimes Department, and the detective said he collected a forensic report alongside a 64-gigabyte flash drive containing extracted audio and video files in September 2025. He later copied selected recordings onto a smaller flash drive for transcription, explaining that some of the information was irrelevant to the treason investigation.
However, the presentation of the evidence triggered objections from the defence lawyers, who questioned why certain documents had not been disclosed to them earlier. Defence lawyer Farouk Kizito Kamulegeya challenged the admission of the court order authorising access to the devices and also objected to the Makerere University quotation and invoice. Lawyers representing Captain Denis Oola supported the objections, arguing that they had been confronted with documents they had not previously received. Trial judge Emmanuel Baguma directed the prosecution to disclose the outstanding documents and admitted the contested court order subject to it being shown to be inauthentic.
Besigye, Obeid Lutale and Captain Denis Oola are facing treason allegations relating to alleged meetings in Uganda, Kenya, Greece and Switzerland. Prosecutors accuse them of discussing funding, weapons and paramilitary activities, among other alleged plans. The prosecution has also alleged that Besigye met Wilson and received $5,000 to facilitate the transportation of 36 Ugandans to Kisumu, Kenya, for military training, although prosecutors say the group was intercepted and deported before the training began. The accused are also alleged to have discussed acquiring weapons and other materials and planning attacks against the government. These remain allegations before the court, not established findings of guilt.
The trial is expected to continue on November 2, 2026, when Odyek is scheduled to face cross-examination. The Shs59.32 million payment to Makerere University has become a significant detail in the proceedings because it reveals the cost of transcribing the extensive recordings that investigators intend to rely on. As the case continues, the court will have to examine the evidence presented by the prosecution alongside challenges raised by the defence. The central question remains whether the evidence will sufficiently support the serious accusations against Besigye and his co-accused.
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