Veteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and his co-accused, Hajj Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya, have asked the High Court to postpone proceedings, insisting they will only be represented by their preferred legal team led by Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua and former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.
In a letter dated 1 July 2026 from Luzira Government Prison and addressed to Criminal Division Judge Emmanuel Baguma, the pair argued that forcing them to accept different lawyers would violate their constitutional right to a fair trial.
They said they remain committed to being represented by Karua, Lukwago and any other lawyers of their choice, despite both lead lawyers currently being unavailable.
The two accused alleged that state actions had effectively dismantled their legal team by arresting Lukwago and deporting Karua, leaving them unable to adequately prepare their defence.
According to the letter, Lukwago was arrested after attempting to serve court documents linked to their human rights enforcement application. He was later charged with misprision of treason, denied bail and remanded in custody.
They also referred to Karua’s deportation from Entebbe International Airport and her subsequent designation as a prohibited immigrant. The pair said Karua had been appointed to lead their defence and claimed her removal was intended to prevent them from accessing legal representation of their choice and instead force them to accept alternative lawyers.
Their concerns follow directions issued by Justice Baguma during proceedings on 30 June regarding their latest bail application and a separate human rights enforcement case against Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Col Peter Ahimbisibwe and Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga. The three are accused of involvement in the pair’s arrest in Nairobi in November 2024.
Besigye and Lutale criticised the judge for continuing with both matters despite being informed that they had no access to their preferred legal team.
They objected to the court’s timetable requiring the Attorney General to respond to the bail application by 1 July, any rejoinder by 2 July, and the hearing to proceed on 3 July.
The pair argued that the schedule was unrealistic for accused persons in prison without legal representation.
“Preparing affidavits, serving court documents and consulting lawyers while in detention cannot reasonably be accomplished within such a short period,” they said.
They also questioned why the bail application, which they said had remained pending beyond the timelines set out in the Bail Guidelines for Courts of Judicature, was suddenly fixed for hearing after their legal team had been disrupted.
They asked the court to adjourn the hearing for at least three weeks to allow sufficient time to prepare their case.
On the human rights enforcement application, the two acknowledged that the court had initially acted quickly in scheduling the hearing but argued that the arrest of Lukwago and deportation of Karua had significantly changed the circumstances.
They also questioned whether the respondents – Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Col Peter Ahimbisibwe and Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga – had been properly served with the application.
According to the letter, although three affidavits in reply had been filed, none was sworn by the named respondents.
The accused said they intended to seek court orders requiring both the respondents and those who filed the affidavits to appear for cross-examination before the applications are determined.
They also rejected Justice Baguma’s suggestion that they appoint alternative lawyers, arguing that the proposal failed to consider the realities of being detained.
The pair further complained that, despite previous court orders allowing consultations with their lawyers using electronic devices, they had been unable to properly review the prosecution’s evidence in preparation for trial.
Besigye and Lutale said they had filed a separate application seeking a determination on issues surrounding their legal representation, describing it as the most urgent matter before the court.
They argued that until the application is resolved and their preferred legal team is restored, it would be impossible to fairly proceed with the bail application, the human rights case or preparations for the main trial.
Besigye and Lutale were arrested in Nairobi in November 2024 during a book launch organised by Karua.
Prosecutors allege the two travelled to Kenya to coordinate plans to overthrow the Ugandan government.
The prosecution further claims that several opposition politicians and activists, including Erias Lukwago, attended meetings outside Uganda where plans to remove the government were allegedly discussed.
Court records also state that some of the meetings were secretly recorded by an American national identified as Andrew Wilson, whom prosecutors describe as an informant who later worked with Ugandan security agencies.
