Besigye protests in court as judge orders him to replace lawyers Lukwago, Karua

High Court judge, Justice Emmanuel Baguma has Tuesday, directed Col Dr Kizze Besigye and his co-accused Hajj Obeid Lutale to reconstitute their legal team and replace two key members, Erias Lukwago and Martha Karua, who are currently unable to represent them.

The ruling followed an application by Besigye’’s lawyers to halt proceedings in their human rights enforcement case against Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Col Peter Ahimbisibwe, Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga and the Attorney General.

The defence argued that the petition could not proceed because lead counsel Martha Karua had been deported from Uganda while Erias Lukwago had been arrested and was currently undergoing treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

Lawyers representing Gen Kainerugaba opposed the application. They argued there was no evidence that Karua and Lukwago were the lead lawyers in the case and questioned why proceedings should be delayed when Besigye's legal team comprises more than 50 lawyers.

In his ruling, Justice Baguma granted the application. He stayed the hearing, allowing Besigye and Lutale time to appoint replacement lawyers and file a rejoinder to the response earlier filed by Gen Kainerugaba and his co-respondents.

Before the session ended, Besigye personally addressed the court, arguing that the circumstances surrounding his legal representation had made it impossible for him to receive a fair hearing.

"We did not have lawyers in the process leading up to today. The respondents have not been served up to today. Therefore they could not have responded and that's because of what has been going on. Our lawyers are on the run. You are now advising us to assemble others who are also on the run because the person terrorising them is the accused."

Besigye questioned how the court expected him to secure legal representation while, according to him, lawyers involved in the case continued to face intimidation.

"This is why it is fundamentally important that if there is to be justice in this court the whole question of how we are to be represented should be addressed before this very application can be heard. Who is going to make the submissions that you are ordering when everyone is on the run."

The human rights enforcement petition was filed after Besigye and Lutale accused Gen Kainerugaba and other state officials of violating their constitutional rights following their arrest, detention and treatment while in custody. The petition seeks declarations that their rights were breached and asks the court for appropriate remedies.

The case has attracted regional attention following the deportation of Kenyan senior counsel Martha Karua on June 22, 2026. 

Karua had travelled to Uganda to join Besigye's legal team and attend court but was denied entry at Entebbe International Airport before being returned to Kenya. She later said immigration officials confiscated her mobile phones during the incident.

Lukwago, who leads Besigye's Ugandan defence team, was arrested on June 15, 2026, shortly before he was due to serve court papers on Gen Kainerugaba in a separate case over alleged threats made against Besigye. He was later charged with misprision of treason and remains in custody while receiving specialised treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital.