The Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court has rejected a State application seeking access to phone data belonging to Dr. Kizza Besigye and Hajji Obeid Lutale.
Prosecutors argued that the phone records were needed to bolster their case. Supporters of Besigye, present in court, erupted in celebration following the ruling.
However, Chief Magistrate Christine Natenge ruled that she lacked jurisdiction to grant the order, as the accused had already been committed to the High Court for trial.
Dr. Besigye was formally charged in a civilian court in February, after a Supreme Court decision barred the trial of civilians in military courts. Since then, he has remained on remand for over three months.
In May, the court denied mandatory bail for Besigye and his co-accused, despite them fulfilling all legal conditions. The court cited lack of jurisdiction, directing the defense to seek bail through the High Court instead.
According to the charge sheet, the treason charges stem from an alleged abduction in Nairobi, where the accused had attended a book launch hosted by Kenyan opposition politician and lawyer Martha Karua.
Prosecutors claim that between 2023 and November 2024, the group traveled to countries including Switzerland, Greece, and Kenya to attend meetings aimed at plotting the overthrow of the Ugandan government. The prosecution further alleges that these discussions occurred both in person and virtually, in cities such as Geneva, Athens, Nairobi, and Kampala.
Additionally, the trio—along with others still at large—allegedly failed to report knowledge of a planned treasonous act to the appropriate authorities, including the Minister, a magistrate, or the police, as required under Ugandan law.
