Latest news with #Besigye
eNCA
23-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Uganda opposition leader denied bail despite legal limit
NAIROBI - A Ugandan court on Friday denied bail to veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye despite exceeding the six-month legal limit for detention without trial. Besigye, 69, was abducted by armed men in Nairobi in November and re-emerged a few days later at a military court in Uganda, where he was charged with treason, which carries a potential death penalty. He is a former doctor to President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for nearly 40 years, but turned against him and ran for the presidency on multiple occasions. Under the constitution, he must be released on bail after 180 days if the trial has not started -- a deadline which passed this week. His case was transferred to a civilian court in February after he went on hunger strike. But earlier this week, lawmakers passed a bill allowing civilians to be tried in military court. In a packed courtroom on Friday, magistrate Esther Nyadoi opted to examine the prosecution's case instead of ruling on Besigye's bail, prompting his lawyers and supporters to walk out in protest. "I am raising a matter of having no legal representation in this case. Your worship this is a case where our lives are at stake," Besigye said. The hearing was adjourned and his detention extended until his next appearance on May 29. Earlier this week, Kenyan foreign minister Musalia Mudavadi admitted "Kenya cooperated with the Ugandan authorities" in Besigye's abduction. In an interview with AFP on Thursday, he said Uganda was Kenya's largest export market and Nairobi did not want to be seen as "fuelling or antagonising our neighbours".
eNCA
21-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Kenya admits role in kidnapping of Uganda opposition leader
Kenya has admitted it assisted in the kidnapping of a Ugandan opposition leader on its soil last year as he appeared in court for the latest hearing of his treason trial on Wednesday. Kizza Besigye, 68, was abducted by armed men in the heart of the Kenyan capital Nairobi in November and re-emerged a few days later at a military court in Uganda. Besigye is a former doctor to President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for nearly 40 years, but turned against him and ran for the presidency on multiple occasions. Kenya's government had previously denied any involvement in his abduction. But in a TV interview late Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Musalia Mudavadi admitted: "Kenya cooperated with the Ugandan authorities." "(Uganda) is a friendly nation. He (Kizza Besigye) was not seeking asylum. He had not come to say that he was seeking asylum. Had he said that, maybe the treatment would have been different," Mudavadi told Citizen TV. "We have to partner with our East African states and sometimes we have to manage those relations very carefully for the broader national interest," he added. Rights groups say Besigye's abduction and trial for treason, which carries a potential death penalty, are linked to the upcoming election in January, when Museveni, 80, will once again seek re-election. Besigye's case was moved to a civilian court after he went on hunger strike earlier this year. After a brief hearing on Wednesday, his case was adjourned to May 29. One of his lawyers, Erias Lukwago, called it "very disappointing". "There is a tendency by court to keep adjourning this case and denying them opportunity to get bail," he told AFP. Activists say the kidnapping and trial are part of a wider erosion of democracy across east Africa. Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu is also on trial for treason in his country ahead of elections in October. Several foreign activists who attempted to attend his trial this week were detained and deported.
TimesLIVE
14-05-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Uganda's parliament introduces bill to let military courts try civilians
The Ugandan government introduced a bill in parliament on Tuesday that would allow military tribunals to prosecute civilians, months after the country's Supreme Court ruled the practice unconstitutional. The top court's January verdict forced the government to transfer the trial of opposition politician and former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye to a civilian court, where state prosecutors have charged him with several crimes including treason. Political allies and lawyers for Besigye, who has lost to President Yoweri Museveni in four elections, say the accusations are politically motivated. Minister of defence Jacob Marksons Oboth introduced the "Uganda People's Defence Forces Bill, 2025" on the floor of the House on Tuesday, where it was referred to a House committee for scrutiny. Civilians may be tried under military law in exceptional circumstances, such as when they are in "unlawful possession of arms, ammunition or equipment ordinarily being the monopoly of the defence forces," according to the draft law seen by Reuters. Besigye was forcefully removed from the Kenyan capital Nairobi in November, and presented in a military court in neighbouring Uganda a few days later, where he was charged with offences including the illegal possession of firearms. Kenya's government denied involvement in what it called Besigye's abduction. The new bill also includes crimes of abetting or aiding a soldier to commit crimes including treason, murder and aggravated robbery, among others. Human rights activists and opposition politicians have long accused Museveni's government of using military courts to prosecute opposition leaders and supporters on politically motivated charges. The new law will be used to "persecute regime opponents and deal with the growing resistance against the regime," said David Lewis Rubongoya from the National Unity Platform (NUP), Uganda's largest opposition party. Information minister Chris Baryomunsi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NUP's leader Bobi Wine said on Friday he plans to contest the presidential ballot due in January, in which Museveni is widely expected to seek reelection. Reuters
Straits Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Uganda's parliament introduces bill to let military courts try civilians
KAMPALA - The Ugandan government introduced a bill in parliament on Tuesday that would allow military tribunals to prosecute civilians, months after the country's Supreme Court ruled the practice unconstitutional. The top court's January verdict forced the government to transfer the trial of opposition politician and former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye to a civilian court, where state prosecutors have charged him with several crimes including treason. Political allies and lawyers for Besigye, who has lost to President Yoweri Museveni in four elections, say the accusations are politically motivated. Minister of Defence Jacob Marksons Oboth introduced the "Uganda People's Defence Forces Bill, 2025" on the floor of the House on Tuesday, where it was referred to a House committee for scrutiny. Civilians may be tried under military law in exceptional circumstances, such as when they are in "unlawful possession of arms, ammunition or equipment ordinarily being the monopoly of the defence forces," according to the draft law seen by Reuters. Besigye was forcefully removed from the Kenyan capital Nairobi in November, and presented in a military court in neighbouring Uganda a few days later, where he was charged with offences including the illegal possession of firearms. Kenya's government denied involvement in what it called Besigye's abduction. The new bill also includes crimes of abetting or aiding a soldier to commit crimes including treason, murder and aggravated robbery, among others. Human rights activists and opposition politicians have long accused Museveni's government of using military courts to prosecute opposition leaders and supporters on politically motivated charges. The new law will be used to "persecute regime opponents and deal with the growing resistance against the regime," said David Lewis Rubongoya from the National Unity Platform (NUP), Uganda's largest opposition party. Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NUP's leader Bobi Wine said on Friday he plans to contest the presidential ballot due in January, in which Museveni is widely expected to seek reelection. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Uganda's parliament introduces bill to let military courts try civilians
KAMPALA (Reuters) - The Ugandan government introduced a bill in parliament on Tuesday that would allow military tribunals to prosecute civilians, months after the country's Supreme Court ruled the practice unconstitutional. The top court's January verdict forced the government to transfer the trial of opposition politician and former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye to a civilian court, where state prosecutors have charged him with several crimes including treason. Political allies and lawyers for Besigye, who has lost to President Yoweri Museveni in four elections, say the accusations are politically motivated. Minister of Defence Jacob Marksons Oboth introduced the "Uganda People's Defence Forces Bill, 2025" on the floor of the House on Tuesday, where it was referred to a House committee for scrutiny. Civilians may be tried under military law in exceptional circumstances, such as when they are in "unlawful possession of arms, ammunition or equipment ordinarily being the monopoly of the defence forces," according to the draft law seen by Reuters. Besigye was forcefully removed from the Kenyan capital Nairobi in November, and presented in a military court in neighbouring Uganda a few days later, where he was charged with offences including the illegal possession of firearms. Kenya's government denied involvement in what it called Besigye's abduction. The new bill also includes crimes of abetting or aiding a soldier to commit crimes including treason, murder and aggravated robbery, among others. Human rights activists and opposition politicians have long accused Museveni's government of using military courts to prosecute opposition leaders and supporters on politically motivated charges. The new law will be used to "persecute regime opponents and deal with the growing resistance against the regime," said David Lewis Rubongoya from the National Unity Platform (NUP), Uganda's largest opposition party. Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NUP's leader Bobi Wine said on Friday he plans to contest the presidential ballot due in January, in which Museveni is widely expected to seek reelection.
