Uganda: Military court rules Kizza Besigye can be tried for treachery

A Ugandan military court has ruled that opposition figure Kizza Besigye can be tried for treachery; if convicted, he could be sentenced to death.

The court’s decision adds to the legal woes the 68 year old is grappling with ahead of 2026 presidential elections.

Besigye, who has attempted to become president four times, went missing in Nairobi late last year.

Days after his disappearance, he appeared before a military court in Kampala.

The opposition leader was charged with illegal possession of a firearm, and for the alleged sollicitation of military backing overseas to destabilise national security.

He was then remanded in custody, before a military prosecutor added treachery to the charge sheet.

Besigye denies the accusations against him.

Human Rights Watch has denounced his trial, describing it as “the latest example of Uganda’s authorities misusing military courts and military-related charges to clamp down on the opposition”.

Rights groups have long accused the country's president, Yoweri Museveni, of violations against members of the opposition.