Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye was arraigned in court on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, to answer charges of taking part in demonstrations in 2022.
Besigye, who is currently in remand, entered the Buganda Road Magistrate court while handcuffed and was charged with incitement to violence over a high cost of living demonstration held in 2022.
He was charged alongside Samuel Lubega Mukaaku.
Tuesday’s arraignment comes after the politician failed to appear before the court as prison officials failed to present him.
Besigye missing
Besigye has been a guest of the state since Saturday, November 16, 2024, when he went missing while in Kenya to attend a planned book launch by Martha Karua.
The opposition politician later resurfaced in a Kampala military court facing charges of possession of an illegal firearm and security violations.
“We suspect that Dr Besigye may have been abducted after he was dropped at the Riverside Apartments, most likely by Ugandan authorities working in cahoots with and facilitated by Kenyan authorities,” Karua said days after the Ugandan politician went missing.
The case, which came amid widespread reports of abduction and forced disappearance in Kenya, sparked a heated debate online and among leaders.
Despite many accusations against the Kenyan security forces, the authorities denied any knowledge of Besigye’s presence in the country.
While commenting on the trial of Besigye, a civilian, in a military court, the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni stated that the move contributed to the stabilization of Uganda.
“I have seen the arguments in the papers by some lawyers regarding the correctness of some civilians being tried in the Court Martial. I want to affirm that, that move was correct and useful and it has contributed to the stabilization of Uganda. Why? It is the NRM that in the year 2005 enacted this law through Parliament. This was because of the rampant activities of criminals and terrorists that were using guns to kill people indiscriminately,” Museveni stated on Thursday, December 12, 2024.
The veteran politician has faced legal challenges that many perceive as politically motivated, aimed at the long-standing opposition leader as Uganda approaches the 2026 polls.
