Besigye Threatens Court Boycott Over Prosecution's Delayed Evidence Disclosure

Veteran opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye expressed frustration in Kampala’s High Court, threatening to skip future sessions unless concerns about evidence disclosure are addressed. Facing treason charges alongside Obeid Lutale and Capt. Denis Oola, Besigye has been on remand at Luzira Prison for over a year.

During proceedings before Justice Emmanuel Baguma, Besigye criticized the judge for overlooking defence complaints. ‘I am extremely concerned about continuing to dismiss our concerns of lack of disclosure,’ he stated, adding he would rather stay away than join an unfair process.

Defence counsel, including Martha Karua, Erias Lukwago, Ernest Kalibbala, and Frederick Mpanga, argued the prosecution ignored a court order for full evidence and witness details by March 3. They pointed to late servings, like additional documents on March 6 and witness statements at 6:30pm the previous evening, with missing items such as witness A’s statement and no witness particulars.

Prosecutor Thomas Jatiko defended the delays, noting an application to protect six key witnesses’ identities (pseudonyms A-F) due to security risks. Justice Baguma ruled the application was not properly served and ordered the prosecution to notify all parties properly.

This article is based on a report from the Daily Monitor: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/besigye-i-will-boycott-court-over-delayed-evidence-5389472.