Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has refused to accept government-approved lawyers assigned to represent him in his treason trial, saying his legal team has been blocked from defending him through arrests and restrictions. Besigye, 70, a longtime challenger to President Yoweri Museveni, told court on Wednesday that he did not trust the lawyers provided by the state because his chosen advocates were no longer available. His trial was adjourned until July 29 after the judge gave him two weeks to decide whether to proceed with the appointed legal team. “The legal team we had is one in whose competence we placed full confidence,” Besigye told the court, insisting that he wanted to be represented by lawyers of his own choice.
The dispute follows the arrest of his lead lawyer, former Kampala mayor Erias Lukwago, and the refusal of entry into Uganda for Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua, another member of Besigye’s defence team. Human rights lawyer Eron Kiiza criticized the developments, saying Besigye’s lawyers had been “deported, abducted and terrorised,” and accused authorities of undermining the independence of the justice system. Besigye has been in detention since late 2024 after he was allegedly abducted in Kenya and returned to Uganda. He initially faced trial before a military court, but proceedings were transferred to a civilian court after Uganda’s Supreme Court ruled that civilians could not be tried by military tribunals.
The opposition leader has accused the government of denying him fair treatment, including access to bail and medical care. He has also questioned the legitimacy of the trial, saying his rights have been violated. The case comes amid growing concerns from rights groups over political repression in Uganda, including the arrest of opposition figures and restrictions on civil society and media organizations. Besigye, a former personal physician to Museveni during their years as allies in the 1980s rebellion, later became one of the president’s strongest political opponents and has unsuccessfully contested several presidential elections.
