An opposition activist has strongly criticized the charges facing Kampala lawyer and former Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, arguing that the case reflects a broader pattern of politically motivated prosecutions.
Lukwago was recently arraigned before the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court where he faces misprision of treason, a charge linked to allegations of failure to report suspected treason-related activities.
He denied the accusations and was remanded pending further proceedings.
However, in a detailed reactionbon social media, Cymon Lo Katine dismissed the legal framing of the case, insisting that it does not reflect the actual sequence of events that led to Lukwago’s arrest.
“The timeline doesn’t lie, even when the charge sheet tries to,” he said.
According to him, Lukwago was not under any treason investigation prior to his arrest.
He claims the lawyer was instead on his way to serve High Court papers issued by a judge against the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), in relation to alleged threats against his client.
“That’s it. That’s the entire ‘crime’,” he argued.
Lo Katine further alleged that Lukwago was picked up in a pre-dawn operation involving armed personnel, describing the arrest as abrupt and carried out without a formal summons.
He also referenced online comments attributed to the CDF, suggesting the detention was framed in a politically charged context.
“The treason label didn’t precede the arrest; it followed it,” he said, claiming the charge was introduced after the fact to justify the detention.
He questioned why treason-related allegations would emerge only after Lukwago’s involvement in legal action against a senior military officer, noting that the lawyer had previously represented opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye in multiple politically sensitive cases without similar accusations being raised.
“Treason requires intent against the state. Filing a lawsuit against an individual officer is not that,” he added.
Lo Katine further pointed to other opposition figures who have faced prolonged legal processes, arguing that such cases reflect selective application of the law when state officials are directly challenged.
“When ‘treason’ only activates the moment accountability does, it’s not a crime—it’s a reflex action,” he said.