KAMPALA, Uganda—Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has once again spoken out about the ongoing treason trial against Dr. Kizza Besigye, which is before the High Court in Kampala.
Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, faces capital charges of treason and misprision of treason, which carry a potential death sentence, stemming from an alleged plot to overthrow the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government of President Yoweri Museveni.
In a statement, Muhoozi disclosed that President Museveni had delegated his younger brother, Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho, popularly known as Salim Saleh, a highly influential retired Ugandan military officer, to handle Besigye’s matter.
“Dr. KB will be handled by Afande Saleh. If he wants forgiveness, he should talk to Afande Saleh. Mzee has given Afande SS those powers,” the statement posted on Muhoozi’s official X account on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, reads.
The 66-year-old Salim Saleh is widely recognised as a foundational figure in Uganda’s liberation struggle and remains a central power center within the ruling NRM.
The trial status and prosecution evidence of Besigye’s case
The trial commenced in August 2026 before High Court Justice Emmanuel Baguma. Because Besigye has repeatedly objected to the fairness of the trial and refused to participate, the court entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf and ordered the case to proceed in absentia.
The prosecution’s case relies heavily on the testimony of Andrew Wilson, an American private investigator and undercover operative working with Ugandan military intelligence.
The state claims that between 2013 and November 2024, Besigye held clandestine meetings in Geneva, Athens, and Nairobi to organise an armed insurrection, secure weapons, and execute a drone attack on President Museveni.
Wilson presented secret audio and video recordings captured with hidden body cameras. However, the defense and onlookers have criticised the evidence, noting the videos are heavily edited, deeply muffled, and of extremely poor quality.
Wilson testified that critical video evidence from a November 2024 meeting in Nairobi was completely lost because Kenyan police interfered with and wiped the recording devices during Besigye’s arrest.
Kizza Besigye’s devastated legal defense
His lead Ugandan attorney, Erias Lukwago, was arrested by the military and charged with treason-related offenses.
Another primary member of his defense, prominent Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua, was denied entry into Uganda and blocked from representing him.
A third attorney, Eron Kiiza, was previously jailed for nine months for “contempt of court” after protesting military court blockades.
Besigye has fiercely rejected state-appointed lawyers, calling the entire judicial setup a rigged system.
Meanwhile, his health has deteriorated drastically during his prolonged detention.
Besigye’s medical emergencies and health concerns
On July 29, 2026, the 70-year-old politician collapsed in the dock during a hearing while protesting the lack of independent legal representation. He was rushed to a hospital unresponsive and placed in an intensive care unit (ICU).
Despite remaining extremely weak, authorities discharged Besigye from the prison hospital and returned him to a standard prison cell in late August 2026.
His wife, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima has publicly condemned his treatment as “cruel” and demanded that the government permit him to travel to Geneva, Switzerland, for urgent medical attention.
“My concern is @kizzabesigye1’s health and life. I demand that his right to health be respected. Let me bring him home to Geneva for proper medical care. When he recovers, he will return and defend himself in court,” Byanyima shared on her X account.
She observed that returning Besigye, whom she termed a very weak man, to an “airless, dark, bedbug-infested cell” and denying him family care is cruel and a violation of his human rights.
“After @mkainerugaba’s public threat that @kizzabesigye1 would leave prison in a coffin, I cannot remain silent. Are they trying to make that threat a reality?” posed Byanyima.
Inside Kizza Besigye’s arrest in Nairobi, Kenya
In the recent past, Muhoozi sparked a major political and legal crisis after making repeated public social media threats to hang or shoot the jailed opposition leader.
Besigye and his aide, Hajji Obeid Lutale, were abducted from Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2024 and forcibly extradited to Uganda.
They were initially arraigned in a military court-martial, but the case was moved to the civilian High Court after a Supreme Court ruling deemed the military prosecution of civilians unconstitutional.
Opposition figures and international critics maintain that the trial is entirely politically motivated to sideline Museveni’s long-standing political rival.
