Uganda: opposition leader Kizza Besigye denied bail amid treason charges

Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye has been denied bail by the High Court, more than a year after his detention. Besigye, a longtime critic of President Yoweri Museveni, faces treason charges over allegations that he planned to forcibly remove the president from power. During Tuesday’s court session, Besigye described the charges as persecution, saying: “This is really a persecution, it is not a prosecution; I am being tried by the prosecutors and persecutors I have faced for 20 years. I have been charged with treason so many times, yet never tried. I am tired of this persecution.” Bes

Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye has been denied bail by the High Court, more than a year after his detention. Besigye, a longtime critic of President Yoweri Museveni, faces treason charges over allegations that he planned to forcibly remove the president from power. During Tuesday’s court session, Besigye described the charges as persecution, saying: “This is really a persecution, it is not a prosecution; I am being tried by the prosecutors and persecutors I have faced for 20 years. I have been charged with treason so many times, yet never tried. I am tired of this persecution.” Besigye, 68, has been in custody since November 2024, after going missing in Nairobi, Kenya. Legal experts and rights advocates argue that opposition leaders in Uganda are systematically denied bail, even when meeting legal requirements. Sarah Bireete, Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Governance, said: “The state cannot explain why opposition leaders cannot access bail for bailable offenses, even when they meet judicial guidelines. This undermines fairness in Uganda’s judicial system.” The court’s decision comes just weeks before Uganda’s general election, where President Museveni, in power since 1986, is widely expected to secure another five-year term. Observers say the treatment of opposition figures like Besigye raises concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and political freedoms in the country. Besigye’s continued detention underscores the growing tension between the Ugandan government and opposition movements, as the nation approaches one of its most critical elections in recent years.