Ugandan political activist, Dr. Kizza Besigye and his colleague Hajji Obeid Lutale have been remanded for another week after their lead Kenyan lawyer, Martha Karua, appeared in court without a practicing certificate from the Uganda Law Council. KFM understands that the court cannot proceed with the case without this certificate, which is a prerequisite for all lawyers.
Dr. Besigye’s Ugandan lawyer, Elias Lukwago, requested an adjournment until the following day, as the Law Council had agreed to issue Karua a temporary practicing certificate. This prompted the Court, chaired by Brig. Gen. Freeman Mugabe, to adjourn the case to Tuesday, December 10, 2024.
Dr. Besigye and Hajji Lutale were arrested at Riverside Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, and arraigned before the General Court Martial on November 20, 2024, to face charges of unlawful possession of two pistols and live ammunition. The duo allegedly committed these offenses in Greece; Switzerland; and Kenya, where they held meetings to solicit logistical support and identify military targets in Uganda with the intention of jeopardizing security.
The pair denied the charges and were remanded to Luzira prison as the UPDF continued its investigations. They returned to court on Monday to receive a ruling on the legality of the charges and the jurisdiction of the General Court Martial, given their arrest in neighboring Kenya.
