Ugandan opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye has firmly rejected court-appointed lawyers assigned to him in his high-profile treason trial, deepening the legal standoff in Kampala’s High Court.
On Wednesday, Besigye told the court he would not accept lawyers from a state provided list, insisting on representation by his personally chosen legal team. His preferred advocates have reportedly faced arrests, intimidation, or restrictions preventing them from representing him.
The veteran opposition figure, a four-time presidential candidate and longtime critic of President Yoweri Museveni, is facing treason charges that carry the death penalty. He was arrested in November 2024 following an abduction in Kenya and has since been held in detention.
The High Court had ordered state appointed counsel after Besigye appeared without his chosen lawyers, citing the need for experienced representation in a complex case. The court has given him and his co-accused two weeks to select from a panel of state lawyers or accept those assigned by the court. Proceedings were adjourned to July 29.
Besigye and his supporters maintain that the charges are politically motivated, while the case centres on an alleged plot to overthrow the Museveni government involving multiple countries.
This latest development has raised fresh concerns about fair trial rights and judicial independence in Uganda’s handling of opposition cases.
Story by : Emmanuel Nettey
