Politics 5 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Makerere Translator Faces Challenges Authenticating Besigye Trial Recordings
A Makerere University translator struggled to authenticate audio recordings and their transcriptions in the treason trial of opposition figure Kizza Besigye. The witness cited inaudible portions as a reason for potential inaccuracies. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/-besigye-trial-makerere-university-translator-struggles-to-prove-recordings-5621116
During court proceedings on October 5, 2026, the prosecution’s second witness, Mr. Medadi Ssentanda, encountered difficulties in verifying audio recordings allegedly linked to meetings involving Dr. Kizza Besigye and his co-accused. Mr. Ssentanda, a senior lecturer at Makerere University’s Department of African Languages and coordinator of the Centre for Languages and Communication Services, informed the High Court that certain segments of the recordings were too unclear to be transcribed accurately.
Presiding over the case, Justice Emmanuel Baguma heard that the inaudible nature of parts of the audio presented a significant challenge for the transcription process. This raised questions about the reliability of the evidence presented by the prosecution. The defence is expected to rigorously question Mr. Ssentanda regarding the transcription report and the specific methods employed in its preparation during the ongoing trial.
The court also saw the appearance of Besigye’s co-accused, Obeid Lutale and Denis Oola. The proceedings highlighted the complexities of using audio evidence, especially when its quality is compromised. The case, involving charges of treason against Dr. Besigye and others, continues with the defence preparing to challenge the validity of the transcribed recordings.