Ugandan military court rules it can try opposition figure on treachery charge carrying death penalty

By Rodney Muhumuza

A prominent opposition figure in Uganda will stand trial on the serious charge of treachery, a military court ruled Tuesday, escalating the legal trouble Kizza Besigye faces ahead of presidential elections scheduled for 2026.

Treachery carries the death penalty for those convicted.

Besigye, who has contested the presidency four times, went missing in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Nov. 16. Days later, he and his co-accused, an assistant named Obeid Lutale, appeared before a military court in Kampala, the Ugandan capital.

Besigye was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and a charge relating to the alleged solicitation of military support overseas in order to destabilize national security. Besigye, who denied the charges, has since been remanded in custody.

A military prosecutor on Monday amended the charge sheet to include treachery and introduce a third suspect, who is a serving army officer, surprising defense attorneys who then challenged