COURT. Kampala High Court Judge Emmanuel Baguma has stood his ground ,insisting that there is no valid grounds for his recusal from the ongoing treason trial of veteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and his co-accused Hajj Obeid Lutale.
Delivering his ruling at the Criminal Division of the High Court on Wednesday, Justice Baguma emphasized that the matter falls within the proper jurisdiction of the division.
He dismissed concerns over his impartiality, noting that his earlier ruling on a mandatory bail application—which was denied—does not indicate incompetence or bias.
“The accusations of bias arose from a mandatory bail application that was denied. In my view, a court can choose to grant or deny bail, and that does not mean the trial judge is incompetent,” Justice Baguma said.
The judge also addressed arguments that the case had been wrongly assigned to the Criminal Division instead of the International Crimes Division.
He clarified that the lower court referred the matter to the High Court and that the Criminal Division has consistently handled cases of a similar nature.
“The accused persons are charged with treason, and this court has the jurisdiction to try such cases. This file remains here, and the accused persons are before the right court,” Justice Baguma ruled.
By concluding that there were no grounds for recusal, the judge confirmed that he will continue to preside over the high-profile trial.
This decision ensures that the proceedings against Dr Besigye and Obeid Lutale will continue before Justice Baguma at the Criminal Division of the High Court.
Dr Besigye’s trial has drawn significant public attention and concerns from legal minds questioning which the Judge denied the accused mandatory bail and also continues to handle the case .