Ugandan Court Denies Bail to Opposition Veteran Kizza Besigye

 A Ugandan court on Friday denied bail to veteran opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who has been held for nearly nine months on treason charges.

The case has intensified concerns among government critics, including opposition figure Bobi Wine and various rights organisations, about an alleged political crackdown ahead of next year’s national elections, in which President Yoweri Museveni, 80, is seeking re-election. The government, however, rejects claims of political targeting, insisting that all detainees are facing legitimate criminal charges.

Besigye — a former ally and personal physician to Museveni — has contested and lost against the president in four previous elections. He has yet to declare whether he will run again. The opposition figure was forcibly returned to Uganda from neighbouring Kenya in November last year, initially charged before a military tribunal, and later transferred to a civilian court.

His legal team argued that he should qualify for automatic release, as he has been in custody for more than 180 days without the commencement of his trial. However, Judge Emmanuel Baguma ruled that the statutory 180-day period began only when Besigye was remanded to the civilian court on February 21 — leaving him 12 days short of the requirement for mandatory bail.