The High Court has ordered Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba and four other respondents to file their responses within seven days to an application brought by jailed opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye.
The directive was issued on Thursday by Justice Emmanuel Baguma of the Criminal Division of the High Court. The judge instructed the respondents to submit their defence by June 18, 2026. Any further responses must be filed by June 25, while the case will be heard on June 30.
Dr Besigye’s application accuses General Muhoozi of making a series of public statements that threatened his life and undermined his right to a fair trial while he faces treason-related charges.
The Attorney General, Col Peter Ahimbisibwe and Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga are also named in the case. Ahimbisibwe and Byaruhanga are accused of participating in the operation in Kenya that allegedly led to the arrest and transfer of Besigye and his aide, Hajj Obeid Lutale, to Uganda. The two are currently on trial alongside Captain Denis Oola.
At the centre of the application are several social media posts attributed to General Muhoozi on X. According to court documents, one post allegedly made on January 16, 2025, stated that Besigye would be hanged on Heroes’ Day. Another post dated February 19, 2026, allegedly described Besigye as “a dead man walking.”
The application also refers to another statement allegedly made in April 2026 in which Muhoozi reportedly suggested that Besigye could either be hanged or shot. Additional posts cited by the applicants allegedly indicated that Besigye would only leave prison in a coffin or after apologising to President Yoweri Museveni.
Besigye’s lawyers argue that the statements amount to threats, psychological torture and a public declaration of guilt before the court has determined the case. They contend that such remarks from the country’s top military officer could influence the judicial process and erode the constitutional principle that every accused person is innocent until proven guilty.
According to the application, the statements collectively interfere with judicial independence and create pressure on the court before evidence has been fully examined
Asssistant Superintendent of Prisons Emmanuel Hiire told Justice Baguma that the two accused persons cited unresolved issues involving their lawyers and the court.
The relationship between Dr. Kizza Besigye and Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba is highly adversarial, rooted in their opposing political ideologies. Besigye (a former ally of President Yoweri Museveni) vehemently opposes the Museveni regime and its potential dynastic succession, while Muhoozi, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Museveni’s son, is expected to succeed his father.
The tensions escalated into a severe legal dispute, as Kizza Besigye and his co-accused sued Gen. Muhoozi for alleged human rights violations, human trafficking, and death threats
Besigye was detained in Kenya and brought to Uganda in November 2024 to face treason charges in a military court before his case was transferred to the civilian High Court in February 2025
Besigye’s legal team filed an enforcement of human rights case citing explicit social media threats made by Muhoozi, where the General publicly stated that Besigye “will only leave prison in a coffin after we hang him or shoot him.
