KAMPALA– High court criminal division in Kampala will tomorrow (Friday 8th August ) deliver a ruling via Email on whether it grants a mandatory bail to Col (Rtd) Dr. Kiiza Besigye and his political aidee Hajji Obeid Lutale.
The duo who have been on remand since November last year having been remanded by the General court martial on Treason charges.
After the Supreme Court order which ceased trial of civilians in the military court, Besigye, Lutale and a UPDF soldier Captain Denis Olaa were in February 2025 arraigned before the Nakawa chief Magistrates Court where they were charged a fresh with treason.
Yesterday their legal team led by Martha Karua spent the entire day giving out their oral submissions to the mandatory bail application.
The group informed the high court presided over by Judge Emmanuel Baguma that their clients have been in detention for over 180 days and have clocked approximately 263 days in prison without trial over the charges of treason.
Fredrick Mpanga, Erias Lukwago, Martha Karua and Eron Kiiza informed court that the constitution bars incarceration of criminal suspects for over 180 days without trial and hence asked court to grant their clients bail on conditions deemed reasonable.
They went ahead and produced seven sureties who among others were the Kira municipality member of parliament Ibrahim Ssemujju Ngenda, Bukonzo county East legislator Harold Muhindo, Kabale municipality MP Thaddeus Kamala and former Leader of opposition in parliament Phillip Wafula Ogutu.
However the Prosecution team led by chief state artonney Richard Birivumbuka asked court not to release the duo on account that they have only spent 93 days in prison because they were in the hands of DPP after the Supreme Court had ceased the trial of civilians in military courts.
The prosecutors also maintained that being the case against the accused persons is grave in nature, their release may create anarchy to the public.
Besigye and Lutale have been on remand since November last year on charges of treason they allegedly committed in countries of Kenya, Greece and Switzerland between 2023 and November last year.
