Justice Emmanuel Baguma of the Criminal Division of the High Court has issued summons to both the Officer in Charge of Luzira Upper Maximum Security Prison and the head of security in the judiciary to appear before him with lawyers representing embattled opposition strongman Dr Kizza Besigye, his political assistant Al-Hajji Obed Lutale Kamulegeya and Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier Denis Oola on 27th December 2025.
The summons resulted from a complaint made by Besigye’s lawyers led by Kenyan international lawyer Marth Karua who revealed that the behaviour of the security officers both at the court and at the prison has made their job of representing the accused persons difficult.
“It is important, my lord, also to note that whenever we visit our clients in prison, we are not even allowed to go with a statute book to discuss with them the law. I cannot go with a paper where I wrote notes to discuss with the client. My lord these are people are charged with capital offences that invite a penalty of death and they need counsel,” Bayern Turinawe one of the lawyers of the accused persons told Court.
He wondered why he has been allowed to access the prison with books and pens when visiting other clients of his but when it comes to Besigye and Lutale, they are denied access.
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He asked the judge to intervene and save the rights of the accused persons from being violated by security personals
He was supported by Eron Kizza another maverick lawyer representing Besigye who told Baguma that lawyers and relatives of the accused persons find it difficult to access court to attend the trial and some are restricted by the security at the gate.
He pleaded with the judge to guide security on how to handle lawyers and relatives of the accused. He proposed that if possible, he should copy what Chief Justice Owiny Dollo did during the 2021 presidential elections petition when he ordered that a big tent be placed outside the courtroom and the trial proceeded from there so that people see justice being done.
Responding to the comments of the lawyers, judge Baguma agreed with them and directed that Bryan Mbazira the Officer in Charge of Upper prison Luzira and his counterpart SP Ronald Mutabazi the head of security in judiciary who unfortunately was pronounced dead on Friday should appear before him and explain the allegations made by the lawyers against them.
Even though the prisons officer who was in court tried to defend Mbazira’s actions by explaining to the judge that once lawyers enter the prison, they are given papers and pens to to use when talking to their clients, the judge overruled him and insisted that he needs his boss.
On the issue of prisons bosses not giving them space when talking to their clients in prison on how to handle their case, the prisons officer said that whatever they do is allowed in the law.
to listen what inmate and lawyers discuss and it is not new
The judge promised to talk with his bosses to see how they can place a big tent outside the courtroom so that he presides over the trial from there. He pleaded with lawyers and relatives to cooperate with him asserting that he has no personal issue with the accused persons as they claim but he is also doing his job.
Erias Lukwago the Kampala Lord Mayor, who is one of the lawyers representing the accused persons told justice Baguma that they don’t have any personal issues with him but being a leader of a political party to which Besigye belongs as one of the top leaders, his supporters are see his actions as biased.
He supported his statement by wondering why they are always losing even though they come with good and supportive application to save their clients.
He added that their clients have no faith in him that is why they dragged him in the Judicial Service Commission and asking that he is removed from the office of the judge of the High Court on grounds of incompetency and proceeding with the hearing of their case in bad faith.
It should be remembered that Justice Baguma dismissed their application to be allowed to file a constitution reference challenging his actions of declining to recuse himself from their matter.
Kira Municipality legislator Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda recently complained about prisons actions of isolating Besigye from other inmates even though Lutale is allowed to talk and share a prison room with other political prisoners like National Unity Platform (NUP) deputy spokesperson Alex Waiswa Mufumbiro, Edward Ssebuufu (Eddy Mutwe) and others.
Besigye is expected back in Court on 27th November 2025 to take plea on the charges related to treason. It is alleged the accused were planning to assassinate President Museveni, poison top government officials and illegally overthrow Museveni’s government.
