High Court Judge Douglas Singiza has ordered the return of former presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye to Luzira Prison following a habeas corpus application filed by his lawyers.
The application came after the state delayed implementing the January 31, 2025, Supreme Court ruling, which barred military courts from trying civilians and directed the immediate transfer of their cases to competent civil courts.
Dr. Besigye and his co-accused, Hajj Obedi Kamulegeya, face multiple charges, including possession of firearms at Riverside Apartments in Nairobi, Kenya, and allegedly holding meetings in Greece and Switzerland to undermine the security of the Ugandan army.
The two were reportedly abducted in Nairobi last month while attending a book launch hosted by Kenyan opposition politician and lawyer Martha Karua. Karua, now in Uganda, is leading a team of 50 lawyers in their defense.
Initially arraigned before the General Court Martial, their case files are now pending transfer to civil courts following a landmark Supreme Court ruling that reclassified the court martial as merely a disciplinary committee of the army.
During the court session, Judge Singiza ordered Besigye’s return to Luzira Prison due to his deteriorating health.
“Kizza Besigye is unwell and should be taken back to prison. This is an administrative order. If a prisoner is sick, I can’t continue with him, he might faint,” the judge ruled.
Speaking after the session, National Unity Platform (NUP) President Robert Kyagulanyi condemned the ruling.
“This is not prosecution but persecution. I implore the people of Uganda to continue exerting pressure because the regime only acts under pressure,” Kyagulanyi stated.
Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, also expressed disappointment.
“I came here expecting to take Dr. Kizza Besigye home today. I am devastated but not surprised. Besigye is a captive,” she said.
She added, “We will continue to demand his freedom and the freedom of all those unjustly detained.”
