This mighty investigative website can exclusively report that Nakawa Court Magistrate Esther Nyadoi has recused herself from presiding over criminal proceedings against four times presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye, his trusted political assistant Hajji Obed Kamulegeya Lutale and Captain Denis Oola who are facing treason charges.
Highly placed sources said that last week, Nyadoi stormed her boss the Chief Magistrate Elias Kakooza’s chambers and pleaded with him to accept her prayer to recuse herself from Dr Kizza Besigye file citing personal issues
However, sources said that Nyadoi was overwhelmed with the social media attacks from Besigye’s supporters which did not even spare her family.
The attacks included issuing of threatening messages against them.
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“You know she is a daughter of Tororo district woman legislator Sarah Opendi. Those people on social media were dragging her mother claiming that she has influenced her decision because of being an NRM legislator and a strong supporter of President Museveni who has a strong interest in the Besigye trial,” a source said.
He added that Kakooza, one of the longest serving magistrates in the country tried to comfort Nyadoi to proceed with the trial until the matter is committed to the High Court.
However, she insisted that she was not in position to move on with the trial explaining that it will take more time before her court since Besigye’s lawyers are not interested in speeding up the trial so that their people are committed to the Criminal Division of the High Court.
After accepting Nyadoi’s recusal, he allocated the file to Christine Nantege who first pleaded to her boss to handle the file because of his seniority but he insisted that the file will be simple.
“He was also scared of handling the file, you know that Besigye file is not easy. Even the prosecutor in the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) is scared of that file because of public pressure,” a source said.
This website has established that senior prosecutors in the DPP’s chambers are scared of Besigye’s case and it is the reason why Richard Bivurumbuka is always the only one present even though the file is very sensitive.
“Joseph Kyomuhendo and Thomas Jatiko were previously here but they were always hiding from cameras and one of them was heard saying that he is tired of Besigye’s cases,” a source said.
When Besigye and his co-accused appeared at Nakawa Court, their matter was handled by Grade One Magistrate Jonathan Tiyo who informed them that the presiding magistrate Nyadoi was in the meeting with the Chief Registrar noting that he has instructions only to adjourn the matter to 29th of May 2025.
