Uganda’s High Court is set to resume proceedings on Wednesday in the case involving opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye and his co-accused, Hajj Obeid Lutale, with attention focused on the issue of legal representation before the substantive hearing continues.
The case will be heard before Justice Emmanuel Baguma, with Besigye facing charges linked to allegations of treason dating back to 2024.
At the previous court session on July 15, the judge appointed three lawyers, Sylvia Namawejje, Sarah Awelo and Serwambala Julius, to lead the defence team for Besigye and Lutale. The court also provided Besigye with a list of 786 lawyers from which he could choose three if he was not satisfied with the lawyers assigned by the state.
The arrangement has become a key issue in the proceedings after Besigye questioned whether a government that arrested, detained and prosecuted him could also fairly determine who should represent him in court. He argued that such circumstances raise concerns about whether he can receive an impartial hearing and genuine justice.
Justice Baguma granted Besigye additional time to review the list of advocates before making a final decision, postponing the matter to Wednesday.
When the case returns to court, Besigye is expected to inform the judge whether he will retain the lawyers previously appointed or select a new defence team from the list provided.
The outcome of that decision is expected to shape the next phase of the high profile case, which continues to attract public and political interest because of Besigye’s long-standing role in Uganda’s opposition politics.
