Our senior reporter in verbatim, details signs violence and provocation before Eron Kizza’s battering and conviction, including how Besigye supporters chased those they claimed to be state spies.
Before their fourth appearance at the Makindye based General Court Martial on Tuesday, there were signs that business wasn’t going to be as usual that day.
A special arrangement was made to scrutinize journalists to cover the court session with limited press cards. Other court goers including local and foreign observers, Popular Front for Freedom (PFF) leaders, Relatives of Dr. Kiiza Besigye and Hajji Obed Lutale were directed to the newly refurbished shelter.
On three occasions, Some PFF leaders and supporters made alarms about three people suspected to be security operatives including a lady whom they alleged had pistols and mobile phones.
“At the entrance, we were refused to enter with our mobile phones, how come you have yours; you even have a pistol with you, we know you very well from your village, we shall even follow you up to your home. Go away from here,” they pushed and forced him away from them as the various security operatives looked on.
Same Besigye supporters still forced other two people out calling them state spies.
Another sign indicating danger was when Besigye supporters donned in white and Blue T-Shirts with words “freedom for all” locked outside the court gate began singing provoking songs, “We shall never, never surrender”, these were dispersed by armed military men and they indeed surrendered forcefully.
For the first time, Dr Kizza Besigye with his co-accused Hajj Obed Lutale Kamulegeya were brought in time at 8:30 am. This was followed with a tight scrutiny on who was meant to enter forcing lawyers to retreat for some minutes at the new visitors’ shelter.
Unlike journalists, Lawyers were denied access to court premises with their gadgets including mobile phones which Counsel Martha Karua raised later among other complaints.
The intervention of the Uganda Law Society (ULS) president Isaac Ssemakadde prompted the Uganda Law Council (ULC) to grant counsel Martha Karua a temporary practicing certificate to take up her role as the lead counsel for her clients.
This action by court martial to deny lawyers their gadgets was termed as a secrete move to amend the charge-sheet by adding on a UPDF soldier. This will be exposed in our coming verbatim story.
Unique Eron Kiiza conviction
Counsel Eron Kiiza who has been very assertive, reminding the army tribunal to strictly follow, protect and uphold the Constitution, this time was forced to bang the table just like the election slogan of his ULS president Isaac Ssemakadde.
“I want to enter! I want to enter!” Eron Kiiza shouted struggling with military men to reach his usual front sit during the court process while being cheered by court goers.
This fracas forced the head of the seven-man tribunal Brig Freeman Mugabe to order for his arrest.
It was reportedly said that counsel Eron kiiza was terribly beaten in the military cell before he was brought for deliberation about his conduct in the metallic court cell where his clients were being kept.
Martha and her fellow learned defense team who were waiting for the charge sheet to be read before their colleague, were instead surprised when Brig Freeman Mugabe announced:
“I expect maximum respect from this court.” This is our ruling;
The Republic of Uganda, Uganda peoples’ Defense Forces Held at Makindye. Criminal case No. UPDF/GCM/40/2024 (court goers shouting at the reference of the year and Chairman further orders for silence).
On the 10th day of December 2024, the accused Counsel appeared before this court representing Col (Rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye and another in the above case UPDF/GCM/40/2024.
He expressed gross professional misconduct and he was warned that such conduct is contempt of court. He was taken through the laws that make it an offence for the conduct he exhibited and warned.
Today, the 7th day of January 2025 when the accused entered this court, he immediately confronted the court orderly officers that were directing him where to sit but instead started assaulting the court orderly and banging the angle bars of the entrance.
The chairman of the court warned him of the misconduct but he did not take heed instead worsened the situation by making more noise while being cheered by the audience.
In our next episode, we bring the verbatim part of the days’ proceedings and a separate story of a plan by prosecution to amend Besigye and Lutale‘s charge-sheet, which is most likely to add another suspect (a UPDF army officer) to the charge-sheet.
We shall also bring you a suspected list of other defense lawyers to be treated the same way like Eron Kiiza.
By; Siraje Lubwama,
Senior Investigative Journalist in crime, court land matters, human Rights.
Freelance Journalist, with Alternative Digitalk