“You Either Drop Charges Against Kizza Besigye Peaceful Or We Show You” UHRC Tells Museveni’s Gov’t

The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has called for the immediate dismissal of charges against opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye and his co-accused, Obeid Lutale Kamulegya. The UHRC raised concerns that the charges were legally flawed and should not proceed, arguing that the alleged offenses took place in Kenya and should therefore be handled there, not in Uganda. The commission emphasized that Uganda’s military courts have no jurisdiction over incidents that occurred on foreign soil.

UHRC Chairperson Mariam Wangadya insisted that any legal action should be pursued in a civilian court, not a military tribunal. She criticized the decision to try the two civilians in Uganda’s General Court Martial, a court meant for military personnel. Wangadya asserted that applying military law to civilians was unjust and contrary to principles of fairness.

Additionally, the UHRC questioned the forceful manner in which Besigye was transferred from Kenya to Uganda, stating there was no immediate justification for his removal. Wangadya argued that the meetings Besigye was accused of organizing had not yet resulted in concrete actions, and there was no evident national security threat that warranted such an operation. She suggested authorities could have waited for Besigye’s voluntary return instead of executing a seemingly unnecessary and aggressive move.