A Ugandan court on Friday denied bail to prominent opposition leader Kizza Besigye and another defendant, citing the severity of the charges they face and the ongoing investigation.
Besigye, 68, is a leading critic of President Yoweri Museveni, who has held power for nearly 40 years. Besigye was abducted from Kenya in November and brought back to Uganda to face treason charges.
The United Nations and various human rights organisations have raised increasing concerns about the suppression of Uganda’s opposition ahead of the 2026 presidential elections.
“Although all grounds for bail have been met, the applications for bail are denied,” High Court Judge Rosette Comfort Kania ruled on Friday.
“The investigations are ongoing, and the applicants may be tempted to interfere with those investigations,” she added, noting that the charges pertain to national security. No new date for a court hearing has been set.
Kizza Besigye and his longtime political ally Obeid Lutale have been imprisoned for more than 140 days.
Defence lawyer Erias Lukwago questioned the decision to deny bail, given that the judge acknowledged the conditions for bail had been met.
“We are going to fight on until the two get bail,” he stated.
Initially, the government sought to have Besigye and Lutale tried in a military court but later abandoned that effort, opting instead to send the case to a civilian tribunal.
Earlier this year, Besigye went on hunger strike while in detention. Once Museveni’s trusted personal doctor, Kizza Besigye, became a target of the government after joining the opposition 25 years ago and unsuccessfully running for president four times.
