KAMPALA. Veteran politician Dr. Kizza Besigye has launched a scathing attack on High Court Judge Emmanuel Baguma, accusing him of incompetence and bias.
Appearing before the court on Wednesday , alongside Hajj Obeid Lutale ,Dr Besigye made a request to have his treason case be transferred to the International Crimes Division (ICD) of the High Court.
According to Dr Besigye , the Criminal Division where they are being tried had no jurisdiction over their case.
“Our indictment for treason was committed by the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court and forwarded to the International Crimes Division. Therefore, we are wrongly before this court,” Besigye said, in remarks delivered after the judge allowed him to personally address court.
Speaking calmly but firmly, Besigye recounted what he described as their “abduction and rendition to Uganda,” before questioning Justice Baguma’s impartiality and competence.
“All the documents from the General Court Martial have been filed with our applications, and the affidavits we swore had details from when we were arrested to when we were remanded, and were accepted as truth by the prosecution,” he said.
“Our lawyers also made extensive reference to the documents in open court. My Lord, we considered that either you are grossly incompetent and unable to read documents filed before you, or at least biased — both of which we consider to be very serious matters that compelled us to file a complaint with the Judicial Service Commission against you.”
In their complaint to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Dr Besigye and Lutale are demanding disciplinary action against Justice Baguma, including his removal from office.
Dr Besigye said the defence had lost faith in the current proceedings, declaring, “We can no longer get justice from your court. Yet, we run to court because it is supposed to be a temple of justice.”
Dr Besigye’s courtroom outburst follows a strongly worded handwritten letter he sent from Luzira Upper Prison on October 2, in which he protested Justice Baguma’s earlier decision to bar him from addressing court directly.
In the three-page letter, Dr Besigye described the ruling as “strange and oppressive,” arguing that denying an accused person the right to speak personally violated fair trial principles.
The letter, which was later admitted into the court record, marked the first formal challenge by Dr Besigye against the judge’s conduct.
Dr Besigye, a four-time presidential contender, is jointly charged with Hajj Obeid Lutale and Captain Dennis Ola with treason and unlawful possession of firearms, stemming from accusations that they plotted to overthrow the government.
Prosecutors allege that between 2022 and 2023, the trio coordinated activities aimed at mobilising civilians and security personnel to disobey lawful authority—a charge Besigye has consistently dismissed as politically motivated.
Justice Baguma adjourned the session, saying he will deliver a ruling on Dr Besigye and Lutale’s concerns on October 15, 2025.