By Hannah Marion Namukasa
The High Court in Kampala on Tuesday ordered veteran opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye and his aide Hajj Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya to take plea shortly after the prosecution amended the indictment in their treason case, following a standoff over its procedural regularity.
The directive followed a ruling by trial judge Justice Emmanuel Baguma, who agreed with the defence that the original indictment was defective. Justice Baguma held that the registrar had failed to append a signature and to formally serve all parties, a mandatory requirement for a valid indictment.
He ordered the registrar to correct the defect within 15 minutes and directed the defence to use a further 15 minutes to prepare the accused to immediately take plea once proceedings resumed.
The ruling initially appeared to offer relief to the defence, which on Monday had challenged the validity of the indictment and objected to immediate plea-taking, arguing it would amount to an ambush and prejudice the accused. However, tensions quickly resurfaced when Besigye and Lutale refused to take plea, citing denial of access to their lawyers.
Besigye and Lutale, who are jointly charged with Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer Capt. Dennis Oola, were produced before Justice Baguma amid heavy security.
“You are going to say something, but let me know your plea on this count,” Justice Baguma told Besigye after the former presidential candidate sought to make brief remarks.
Besigye objected, questioning how he could plead without legal advice.
“How do you want me to plead when you have cut out the possibility of having the highly needed advice of my lawyers, as granted by the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda?” he asked.
Despite the court’s insistence that plea-taking proceed, Besigye maintained that it was impossible for him to do so without consulting his defence team, describing the proceedings as “persecution, not prosecution.”
Justice Baguma subsequently entered a plea of not guilty on Besigye’s behalf under Section 63 of the Penal Code. Lutale also declined to plead, responding simply, “No comment.”
Investigations Extend to Alleged Overseas Financiers
As the court drama unfolded, attention has increasingly shifted to investigations beyond the courtroom. According to reliable sources, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and security agencies have not closed their scope of inquiry into a list of Ugandans based abroad whom the state suspects of providing financial and logistical support to Besigye.
Authorities allege that the alleged funding networks were intended to destabilise the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government led by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Sources say significant emphasis has been placed on members of the Ugandan diaspora believed to have mobilised funds for Besigye’s political activities.
Among the names reportedly under scrutiny is Twine Herbert, said to be living in Canada. Though not widely known publicly, sources claim that even during his time in Uganda as a businessman, Twine was among key financiers of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
Another individual drawing particular attention is Diana Tusingwire, a Ugandan national currently based in the United States. Investigators allege that Tusingwire played a central role in mobilising diaspora financial support for Besigye and other opposition-linked activities.
Tusingwire is said to have served as an FDC polling agent during the 2016 general elections in Nyabubare Division, Igara County, Bushenyi District, in southwestern Uganda. Sources claim she fled the country shortly after the elections, citing threats to her life.
According to the same sources, she was arrested after the 2016 polls and allegedly tortured at the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) headquarters in Mbuya before later being released. She reportedly left Uganda soon afterwards and eventually settled in the United States.
Investigators now allege that, while abroad, Tusingwire became active within diaspora networks, mobilising financial support for activities they claim were aimed at toppling the NRM government. Her reported inclusion on an alleged DPP list has heightened anxiety among opposition-linked diaspora communities, who fear a widening crackdown extending beyond Uganda’s borders.
Besigye, a long-time critic of President Museveni, has faced treason charges on multiple occasions over the past two decades but has never been convicted. He and Lutale have been in custody since November 2024 and have been denied bail four times. Their lawyers argue that the accused have satisfied all bail conditions and have now spent more than six months on remand without trial.
The case was adjourned to January 21, 2026.
