Uganda opposition leader, Besigye goes on hunger strike

KAMPALA, Uganda

The veteran opposition politician, Dr Kizza Besigye, has gone on a hunger strike again at the Maximum Security Prison in Luzira, Kampala, where he has been on remand since October last year following his controversial arrest from Nairobi, Kenya.

Multiple sources that spoke to this publication this evening said the four-time presidential contender had also refused to see his lawyers in protest against his continued detention following January 31 landmark Supreme Court judgment that ordered for the immediate cessation of prosecution of civilians in the General Court Martial and transfer of their files to ordinary courts with competent jurisdiction. 

The development comes after police arrested four people in Kampala in two separate incidents over their protest against the continued detention of Dr Besigye, his aide Hajj Obeid Lutale and other civilians, mostly opposition supporters who were being tried in military courts.

The Deputy Police Spokesperson, Kampala Metropolitan Luke Owoyesigyire confirmed the arrest of four people, including the Peoples Front for Freedom [PFF] promoter, Ingrid Turinawe; James Ssuna, a human rights activist and two others who were not yet identified by press time.

They were arrested at Parliament Gate and Constitution Square.

The arrests happened as police escorted hundreds of members of Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), who were marching uninterrupted from their offices in Naguru, Kampala with the intention to deliver a petition to Parliament protesting the conduct of certain MPs whom they accuse of "undermining" their leader and the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba who is also President Museveni’s son.

ASP Owoyesigyire said the suspects would be charged with being a public nuisance. By press time Monday evening, the suspects were still detained at Kampala Central Police Station.

Ms Turinawe and the two first attempted to deliver an intention to sue notice to Attorney General,  Kiwanuka Kiryowa at the Ministry of Justice and Constitution Affairs and when they were denied access, they crossed over to Parliament where they were intercepted by security personnel at the main gate.

She said they had given the AG an ultimatum of four days to ensure the former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president and other political prisoners who were being tried in the military court are released, failure of which he would be sued.

In a separate incident, Mr Ssuna was intercepted at Constitution Square as he chanted, “Free our constitution! I have a right to rise up against the violation of the constitution as a concerned Ugandan.”

Dr Besigye and Lutale have been facing charges related to security, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and treachery in the court martial but on January 31 this year, the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional to try civilians before the military courts citing lack of independence, impartiality and fairness by army court given that they are directly appointed by President Museveni to whom they pay allegiance.

Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo ordered that all ongoing prosecutions or pending trials before the court martial involving the civilians must immediately cease and be transferred to the ordinary courts of law with compete tent jurisdiction.

However, 10 days later, the government is yet to implement the recommendations of the Supreme Court.

The lawyers representing Dr Besigye and Hajj Lutale have since asked the government to release them since their remand warrants expired on February 3, 2025 and were no longer valid.

“On whose orders are all people who were being tried in a court martial continued under detention? On whose and which orders do they keep under detention?”Ms Turinawe was heard saying as she carried placards with words like “Free Uganda”, “Free all political prisoners” inscribed on them.

She added, “I want to see Mr Kiwanuka, I have his notice of intention to sue, let him stamp on it and I leave, I have come in peace.”
Last week in his response to Parliament, Mr Kiryowa said that he had advised the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to liaise with General Court Martial and the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF) to take over ongoing crime trials in the military court that have been identifieD for transfer.

The opposition on Monday accused the police of selective application of the law as they escorted Gen Muhoozi’s supporters uninterrupted.

However, while addressing journalists in Kampala, the police spokesperson Mr Kituuma Rusoke said the PLU supporters notified the police about their intentions and the police guided them on how to proceed with their procession.