By Enyichukwu Enemanna
For the first time since the ruling of Uganda’s Supreme Court that the trial of opposition figure in a military court was illegal, Kizza Besigye appeared in a civilian court on Friday on charges bordering on treason.
The top court had in a landmark ruling last month said that trying civilians in military courts was unconstitutional, ordering all such cases to be transferred to regular court.
The ruling did not go down well with President Museveni, who called it “a wrong decision”.
Following the transfer of his case, the 68-year-old was slammed with treason, which is a capital offence in the country and could be sentenced to death if found guilty.
Visibly frail, he was wheeled before the Nakawa magistrate court in the capital, Kampala, alongside his aide and co-accused.
The charges stem from accusations that he was plotting to remove Museveni from power by force.
He was in November forcibly brought home from Kenya to face trial in military court over alleged illegal possession of firearms.
According to the charge sheet presented before court, Besigye is accused of holding meetings in Switzerland, Greece and Kenya between 2023 and November last year in a plot to overturn the government.
He was also accused of soliciting for military, financial and other logistical support to topple Museveni’s government.
Besigye was charged alongside two other suspects, but they did not enter a plea on the grounds that the charges against them could only be heard in a higher court.
The opposition figure has run for President against long-serving leader Yoweri Museveni four times.
At the beginning of last week, Besigye started a hunger strike over his continued detention, which his lawyer said he has now called off.
During proceedings, Besigye’s lawyer asked the court to order that he be transferred to a better health facility outside the prison but Magistrate Esther Nyadoi dismissed the application, saying she was unable to grant such a request.
She ordered the accused to be remanded until next month to allow the prosecutor to finish the investigation.
