In a rare public intervention, Charles Katamujuna, an 81-year-old veteran politician and long-serving NRM leader for Older Persons in Nyabushabi Parish, has voiced sharp criticism of the judiciary’s handling of the ongoing treason case against retired Colonel Dr. Kizza Besigye and his co-accused, Obeid Lutale and Captain Denis Oola.
Speaking at the launch of campaign rallies for Ndorwa East MP and Shadow Attorney General Hon. Wilfred Niwagaba at Bugomora Primary School, Katamujuna, a former UPC youth organizer from the 1960s and 1970s, called on Niwagaba to leverage his position in Parliament to address what he described as procedural injustices faced by the opposition figures. His remarks elicited a mixture of applause and surprise from those in attendance.
Hon. Niwagaba added his voice to the criticism, questioning the impartiality and professionalism of High Court Judge Emmanuel Baguma, particularly in cases that carry significant political sensitivity.
The controversy mirrors wider national debates, coming just days after NUP presidential hopeful Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, promised at a Kabale rally that, if elected, he would release all political prisoners and reinforce the rule of law, accusing state institutions of being weaponized against opposition leaders.
Dr. Besigye, who once served as President Yoweri Museveni’s personal physician, was arrested in Nairobi in November 2024 while engaging with Ugandan exiles and activists. He was extradited to Uganda and charged with treason in February 2025. Prosecutors allege that between 2023 and late 2024, Besigye conspired to overthrow the government from locations including Geneva, Athens, Nairobi, and Kampala. Because treason carries the death penalty, the case is being heard at the High Court.
Repeated applications for bail have been denied, with the court citing the “seriousness and cross-border scope” of the alleged offenses.
Katamujuna’s public critique and Niwagaba’s parliamentary challenge have reignited national discussions about judicial independence, political freedoms, and the treatment of high-profile opposition figures in Uganda. Besigye’s long history as a government critic, including multiple arrests over the past three decades, continues to fuel debate over the balance between state authority and political dissent.
