Winnie Byanyima, wife to Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, has sharply criticised the judiciary following Monday’s High Court ruling that directed the state to assign lawyers to the detained politician in his ongoing treason trial.
In a statement issued after the July 13 proceedings, Byanyima accused President Yoweri Museveni of orchestrating the legal process against her husband, claiming the court’s decision reflects a predetermined political agenda rather than an independent judicial process.
Her remarks came shortly after High Court Judge Emmanuel Baguma ordered that Besigye be provided with state-funded legal representation to allow the long-delayed trial to proceed, despite objections from the accused and his co-defendants.
Byanyima alleged that the move was part of a broader plan communicated earlier this year.
“In February, President Museveni told a respected national leader he would remove Besigye’s lawyers, assign him state lawyers, and have the case concluded,” she claimed.
She further linked Monday’s ruling to what she described as a pattern of state control over the case, tracing it back to Besigye’s controversial arrest and transfer.
“From his abduction in Kenya and illegal arraignment before a military court to this day, Museveni has controlled every step of a trial in which he is also the complainant,” she said.
Judge Baguma, in his ruling, maintained that the court had a duty to ensure proceedings move forward without undue delay, stating that the right to legal representation should not be used to stall the trial indefinitely.
The court directed that lawyers be appointed from the state brief panel if the accused fail to secure their preferred counsel.
However, Byanyima rejected the decision outright, arguing that it undermines constitutional guarantees of a fair trial.
“Judge Baguma is enforcing Museveni’s orders, not the Constitution. This is not justice. It is rule by decree dressed up as a court of law,” she said.
Besigye, who faces treason charges alongside several co-accused, has consistently denied the accusations, which include claims of plotting to assassinate the president.
The case continues to draw regional and international attention, raising concerns over judicial independence and the treatment of opposition figures in Uganda’s political landscape.