Gen. Otafiire Calls for Besigye’s Trial

In a rare moment of candor, former bush war fighter and long-serving minister Gen. Kahinda Otafiire has called for clarity on the fate of opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, insisting that he should either be prosecuted or set free.

Speaking at the inaugural Sam Kalega Njuba Memorial Lecture organized by the Uganda Law Society in Kampala on Thursday, Otafiire admitted that he personally does not know what crime Besigye committed.

“Besigye should be tried in court and condemned or absolved we don’t know what he did,” said Otafiire, who retired as a Major General, while Besigye left the army earlier with the rank of Colonel.

The outspoken minister, known for his blunt remarks, used the occasion to castigate the current state of governance in Uganda. Drawing parallels with past regimes, he warned against complacency and silence in the face of injustice.

“I lived through Obote I and Amin’s regime. And I can tell you, some of the things happening today are simply unacceptable. Ladies and gentlemen, do not die in the sin of silence,” he urged.

President Museveni, Otafiire’s longtime comrade, has built his legacy condemning the brutality and corruption of past governments. Yet, Otafiire’s remarks comparing present realities to those regimes stirred unease in the audience.

Dr. Kizza Besigye’s detention continues to cast a long shadow over Uganda’s political space. On November 16, 2024, he was arrested in Nairobi, Kenya, alongside his associate Obeid Lutale. The two were forcibly driven across the border in violation of international law and held incommunicado until Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, raised alarm over his disappearance.

Days later, the pair were paraded before the General Court Martial in Makindye, facing treason-related charges and allegations of illegal possession of firearms.

In January 2025, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling outlawing the trial of civilians in military courts. The ruling ordered Besigye and dozens of opposition supporters to be transferred to civilian courts. Yet, more than 300 days later, Besigye remains in detention, consistently denied bail even after surpassing the constitutional limit of 180 days in pre-trial custody. The irony of Otafiire’s appeal for justice was not lost on those present.

Inside the hotel conference room, Law Society president Isaac Ssemakadde was introduced to make his opening remarks. But he was not there. Instead, he appeared virtually from exile forced out of the country after a controversial jail term linked to his clashes with the judiciary.

His absence underscored the dangers faced by outspoken voices in Uganda’s legal fraternity. Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago seized the moment to press Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka.

“In Njuba’s time, the Attorney General defended citizens and politicians alike,” Lukwago said. “But today, our Law Society president is a fugitive, in exile, holding his baby as you saw yesterday. What have you done to protect leaders like him?”

The lecture also revisited chilling reminders of missing activists including John Bosco Kibalama of NUP, last seen in 2019, and Sam Mugumya, a staunch Besigye supporter, recently reported abducted.

The memorial honored the late Sam Kalega Njuba, a distinguished lawyer, academic, and politician revered for his integrity and unwavering fight for justice.

Njuba’s legacy spans decades: Chief Magistrate at Buganda Road Court, president of the Uganda Law Society, Constituent Assembly delegate, and later, a key figure in opposition politics as chairman of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).

His widow, Gertrude Njuba, delivered a moving appeal for unity.

“As Africans, we must stop destroying ourselves like nsenene trapped in a kaveera while former colonial masters watch and laugh. We need unity, even across political divides. Let us come together to protect our continent.”

For many in the room, Otafiire’s unfiltered remarks and Njuba’s enduring legacy carried a sobering reminder: Uganda’s democracy remains fragile, and justice elusive.