Kampala, Uganda – A scheduled High Court hearing in the treason case against opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye and two co-accused has been postponed to October 1, after Besigye and his aide Hajj Obeid Lutale failed to appear in court.
Justice Emmanuel Baguma told the court that both men had submitted written notices explaining their absence. Dr Besigye cited illness, while Lutale stated only that he was unable to attend.
However, the defence team, led by senior counsel Martha Karua, said it was not made aware of the letters before the session began.
Only Captain Denis Oola, the third accused, appeared in court. Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Lino Anguzu stressed that the hearing could not proceed in the absence of the accused unless explicitly authorised by the court.
The trial, which had been scheduled to open on Friday, is one of the most closely watched legal proceedings ahead of the 2026 elections. Dr Besigye, a long-standing critic of President Yoweri Museveni, faces charges of treason and misprision of treason alongside Lutale and Oola.
Earlier this year, Besigye’s lawyers unsuccessfully petitioned for Justice Baguma to step aside from the case, accusing him of bias. The judge dismissed the application, saying the allegations were unfounded.
The adjournment prolongs uncertainty around a politically sensitive case that has already attracted widespread scrutiny. Analysts say the delays risk fuelling public suspicion about fairness in the judicial process.
High Court is now expected to reconvene on 1 October, when the trial is set to resume, subject to the presence of all accused.
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