By Gano Mazima Investigative Desk
In a dramatic turn that has shifted the high-stakes treason case against opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Lino Anguzu, has withdrawn his controversial application to shield key state witnesses from public scrutiny.
The decision, according to TV10GanoMazima’s exclusive investigation, came directly from a tense, high-level meeting at State House chaired by President Yoweri Museveni himself.
The gathering exposed deep divisions within the prosecution team and underscored the President’s determination to project strength and transparency in a case that has gripped the nation.The turning point arrived just as the state’s lead prosecutor, Thomas Jatiko, was preparing to re-examine Senior Prosecutor Joseph Kyomuhendo, who had been testifying in support of hiding the identities of crucial witnesses.
Besigye’s formidable legal team—including the incarcerated former Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, Ernest Kalibbala, and Fred Mpanga—subjected Kyomuhendo to intense cross-examination. They demanded to know why the state sought anonymity for witnesses in such a high-profile, publicly sensitive matter.
Public outrage had already been mounting. Social and mainstream media were ablaze with accusations that the government was concealing witnesses to push a “fabricated” narrative: that Besigye, his political assistant Haji Obed Lutale Kamulegeya, and others had been plotting to assassinate President Museveni, poison senior officials, and overthrow the NRM government.
President Museveni, who had publicly insisted that the state possesses “overwhelming evidence” against Besigye, was reportedly incensed by the optics.
He questioned why Besigye was gaining sympathy by refusing food in prison as a protest against delays in transferring his file from military to civilian court following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling against trying civilians in military tribunals.
Determined to take control, Museveni summoned a closed-door meeting at State House attended by investigators, prosecutors, and key stakeholders in the case. Sources close to the meeting described a visibly furious President confronting DPP Anguzu.
“Why do you want to hide the witnesses when we have shocking and touching evidence of Besigye’s clandestine plans?” Museveni demanded, according to insiders. He even referenced a special budget he had personally approved to fund the investigations.
The President made his position crystal clear: he wanted the trial conducted openly, much like the recent high-profile case of Okello Onyum. Under pressure, Anguzu agreed to withdraw the application.
In a significant move, the state then disclosed the identities of the key witnesses it had hoped to protect—including senior military intelligence figures such as the incarcerated Maj. Gen. James Birungi and Maj. Gen. Abel Kandiho.
The Crackdown Intensifies The revelations triggered immediate fallout. Upon learning of the development, Lukwago swiftly filed a Human Rights Enforcement application against Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba (in his personal capacity) and Attorney General Dr. Sam Mayanja.
The bold legal move reportedly enraged Gen. Muhoozi, leading to orders for Lukwago’s arrest.Lukwago was subsequently charged with misprision of treason and remanded to Luzira Prison. One of his lawyers, Medard Lubega Ssegona, claims that while in detention, his client was pressured to reveal sensitive information about Besigye’s alleged plans.
Lukwago’s phone was also confiscated during his abduction from his Wakaliga home.State sources indicate that prosecutors are now prepared to call additional witnesses, including former ISO operative Charles Rwomushana, opposition politician Samuel Lubega Mukaku, and activist Prossy Salaam Musumba. Musumba has defiantly declared she fears no arrest.
“All those are tricks to threaten us to run away from our country where we buried our ancestral grandparents,” she said. “We are here to stay at all cost.”Judicial Battlefield As the case hurtles toward trial, another front has opened.
Activists are circulating an online petition calling for the removal of Justice Emmanuel Baguma, who is presiding over the matter. This follows Besigye and his co-accused’s failed attempt to have Baguma recuse himself. Besigye has also petitioned the Judicial Service Commission, led by Justice Dr. Douglas Singiza, alleging incompetence and misconduct against Baguma.
Despite the mounting pressure from the accused, their families, and supporters, Justice Baguma has remained resolute. He has scheduled June 30 to hear Lukwago’s Human Rights Enforcement application against Gen. Muhoozi and the Attorney General.
What began as a secretive prosecutorial strategy has now become a very public power struggle—pitting the full weight of the state against one of Uganda’s most enduring opposition figures, all under the watchful eye of a President determined to control the narrative. The coming weeks promise more fireworks as Uganda’s justice system, politics, and security apparatus collide in open court.
