🇺🇬 Ugandan Court Denies Bail to Opposition Veteran Kizza Besigye Over Treason Case

A Ugandan judge has rejected a bail application by long-time opposition leader Kizza Besigye, ruling that he falls 12 days short of the mandatory 180-day detention threshold before automatic bail is granted.

 Zig Diaries Politics
Date: Saturday, 9 August 2025
Time: 18:20 EAT
Location: 📍Kampala, Uganda

Besigye has been in jail for nearly nine months facing treason charges, a case that has intensified concerns over political repression ahead of Uganda’s 2026 general elections.

Veteran Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye will remain in detention after Judge Emmanuel Baguma ruled on Friday that he does not yet qualify for mandatory bail under Uganda’s legal provisions. Baguma stated that the 180-day maximum period before bail eligibility began only on February 21, when Besigye was remanded by a civilian court, meaning he is 12 days short of the requirement.

Besigye’s lawyers had argued that his detention has already exceeded the 180-day threshold, pointing to the fact that he has been incarcerated for almost nine months without trial. They accused the state of deliberately delaying proceedings.

The case has reignited political tensions, with opposition leader Bobi Wine and several rights groups warning of a deepening crackdown on dissent ahead of next year’s general election, in which President Yoweri Museveni, 80, is seeking re-election. The government denies targeting opposition figures, insisting that all detainees are being held for legitimate legal reasons.

A former ally and personal physician to Museveni, Besigye has been one of his fiercest critics for more than two decades. He has contested four presidential elections, rejecting all results over alleged fraud and voter intimidation. His political career has been marked by repeated arrests, including a 2022 charge of inciting violence.

Besigye was forcibly returned to Uganda from Kenya in November last year, initially tried in a military tribunal on treachery charges before the case was transferred to a civilian court. He maintains his innocence and has not indicated whether he intends to run in the upcoming elections.

Fact-check & Background Context:

• Legal Context: Ugandan law mandates that suspects be granted bail after 180 days in detention without trial, but the clock starts from the date of remand in the relevant court.
• Political Context: Uganda’s political opposition has long accused the Museveni government of weaponising the judiciary and security forces to suppress dissent.
• Historical Note: Besigye, a founding member of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), has faced dozens of arrests and prosecutions since 2001.

 🏷️Tags: Kizza Besigye, Uganda Politics, Treason Case, Bobi Wine, Yoweri Museveni, Human Rights

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