Uganda Lawyer Faces Treason Charge Amid Political Tensions

Former mayor and lawyer Erias Lukwago, who represents jailed opposition figure Kizza Besigye, has been accused of a treason‑related offence after being detained at his home.

Lukwago appeared in Kampala’s magistrate court, looking visibly weak, and denied the charges of failure to report treason. He was remanded in jail until next week, when his case will be heard.

The arrest sparked condemnation, particularly after Army Chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba boasted about it on social media. Opposition politician Bobi Wine alleged that Lukwago was seized on Kainerugaba’s orders because he was preparing to serve a court summons on the military chief.

Lukwago’s family sought a court order demanding that security officers disclose his whereabouts and release him “whether dead or alive,” claiming the army chief had repeatedly claimed responsibility for his seizure and shown mistreatment.

Besigye, who has been on treason trial since being abducted in neighboring Kenya and forcibly returned to Uganda, has been a long‑standing opponent of President Yoweri Museveni, having once served as his personal doctor before breaking ranks in 1999.