By Bonface Mulyungi

Ugandan opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye has sued Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also President Yoweri Museveni’s son, for allegedly threatening to kill him on Heroes Day.

In an application filed at the High Court, Besigye, who has been detained together with his aide Hajji Obeid Lutale since November 2024, claimed that his Constitutional rights were violated.

Besigye and Lutale were apprehended in November 2024 during a book launch in Nairobi hosted by People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua and transferred to Uganda, where he was charged with treason.

In the application, the two sought to halt the criminal proceedings against them, citing that their arrest, detention and prosecution undermined their constitutional right to a fair trial.

According to Besigye, they were allegedly transferred to Uganda without extradition proceedings, detained at Makindye Military barracks, denied access to lawyers, family members and medical personnel, and subsequently arraigned before the General Court Martial.

He questioned the legality of a civilian being tried before a military court.

The opposition leader cited General Muhoozi for repeatedly making threats against his life via social media.

He quoted several posts on X where General Muhoozi claimed that they would either shoot or hang him on Heroes Day.

“We will hang KB on Heroes’ Day. That’s the best day for him to die,” stated Muhoozi in a post on X on January 16, 2025.

“Besigye wanted to kill Mzee, so as far as we are concerned, UPDF, he is a dead man walking.”

“I think we might hang Besigye by next month. If we don’t hang him, we will shoot him dead. That will be a great day for Uganda,” read another post by Muhoozi, as quoted in the application.

The prosecution had accused Besigye and his co-accused of holding meetings in Geneva, Athens, Nairobi and Kampala to solicit funds, acquire weapons and organise paramilitary operations.

The State also alleged that Besigye had hatched a scheme, after receiving USD 5,000 (Ksh.647,000) from a Kurdish Intelligence agent, to transport 36 Ugandan recruits to Kisumu, Kenya for military training. The plan, according to the prosecutors, was thwarted.

Other allegations levelled against Besigye involved the use of counterfeit currency, surface-to-air missiles, and planned drone-based assassination attempts against Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni.

The State claims to possess audio and video recordings, social media, immigration records and phone data allegedly linking Besigye to the schemes.

Besigye and Lutale will remain in remand until June 11, 2026 when the prosecution will present its first witness.