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Buganda Road Blocked as Besigye Stands Trial For Inciting Violence
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Security forces cordoned off roads leading to Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court this morning as opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye appeared in court for trial. Besigye, along with Samuel Lubega Mukaaku, is charged with inciting violence following a protest against the rising prices of commodities.
Besigye, who has been in prison since November 2024 on treason and other charges under the General Court Martial, was produced in court on a production warrant issued on January 9, 2025. Senior Principal Grade One Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko presided over the case. Besigye’s appearance marked a continuation of his legal challenges.
Security was tight around the court premises, with officers from the Police Field Force Unit-FFU blocking roads from the Nakasero market side and the entrance near Central Police Station in Kampala. Police double cabins from the Counter Terrorism Unit were stationed at various points outside the court, while uniformed officers patrolled the area.
The prosecution accuses Besigye and Mukaaku of inciting violence by rallying people in Kikuubo Shauriyako Parish, Kampala, and urging them to protest against the high cost of living. However, both Besigye and Mukaaku have denied the charges. Prosecutors, led by Allan Mucunguzi, summoned witnesses to substantiate the allegations.
Prosecution witness Sergeant Stephen Oryema, a scene of crime officer, concluded his testimony and presented his report detailing the events at the crime scene along Nakivubo Road. Oryema was cross-examined by Besigye’s defense lawyers, including Erias Lukwago and Abubaker Ssekanjako, who pointed out that Oryema wrote his report months after the alleged offense occurred, calling into question the validity of his findings.
The prosecution requested an adjournment to present their final witness on February 11, 2025, which the court granted. Besigye, who is out on bail in this case, had his bail extended until then but was taken back to Luzira Prison due to his remand under the General Court Martial’s order.
He is expected to appear before the Court Martial on February 3, 2025.
Lukwago addressed the press after the hearing, criticizing the continuous adjournments and the lack of progress in the case. He accused the state prosecutors of deliberately stalling the case, describing it as political persecution. He also pointed out that all witnesses so far have been police officers, with no community members who allegedly witnessed the incitement.
The trouble for Besigye and Mukaaku stems from their June 14, 2022 protest against the skyrocketing prices of goods. According to Oryema’s report, police were informed of the alleged incitement and dispatched officers to the scene, where they found Besigye and Mukaaku in a vehicle (UAK 773F), using a megaphone to address a crowd. The police reportedly ordered the two to stop their actions, but they allegedly ignored the instructions, leading to the vehicle being towed to the Central Police Station.
The investigation report also includes photos of the scene, showing the vehicle being pounded and searched by police officers, with crowds gathered around Besigye as he used the megaphone. In October 2022, Magistrate Asuman Muhumuza had ordered the return of Besigye’s impounded vehicle, but to date, it has not been returned. In June 2023, Grade One Magistrate Siena Owomugisha dismissed similar charges against Besigye for lack of prosecution.
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