KAMPALA, Uganda — The long-running treason case against opposition veteran Kizza Besigye has taken another turn after lawyer, Eron Kiiza, claimed that political commentator Charles Rwomushana is among the individuals named in prosecution evidence relating to alleged meetings at the center of the government’s case.
On Monday, Kiiza questioned key elements of the prosecution’s evidence while arguing that the case has been undermined by developments surrounding the investigation.
Kiiza recalled the events that led to Besigye’s prosecution, saying, “Back in November 2024, Uganda’s army grabbed opposition leader Kizza Besigye and his friend Obeid Lutale in Nairobi, Kenya, and took them home to face treason charges. That’s the crime of trying to overthrow the government. The crime is so serious they could be hanged if convicted (which the CDF and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni) have already done publicly.”
Besigye and his co-accused, Obeid Lutale, are facing charges stemming from allegations that they participated in a conspiracy to overthrow President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Both men have consistently denied wrongdoing.
Kiiza also challenged what he described as the narrative advanced by government supporters following Besigye’s arrest.
“After that, the government pushed a story that Besigye had been planning to hurt or kill President Museveni. A political commentator named Charles Rwomushana helped spread that story. So did journalist Andrew Mwenda,” Kiiza said.
The lawyer further questioned the reliability of audio recordings that have featured prominently in public discussions surrounding the investigation.
“A big part of their ‘proof’ was some audio recordings. However, the guy who supposedly had the original recordings (Orlando Andy Wilson) later told police, in March 2025, that he destroyed them. So the real evidence is gone. That same guy also claims he’s the one who let the kidnappers into the room where Besigye was taken, then ‘escaped,'” Kiiza said.
His most striking claim concerned Rwomushana’s appearance in the prosecution’s own material.
“It is funny how Rwomushana, who helped push the anti-Besigye story, has ended up named in the government’s own treason case as someone allegedly involved in the plot meetings. He hasn’t been charged; he’s just named in their evidence,” Kiiza stated.
The lawyer suggested that the commentator’s recent public silence on the case could be linked to the emerging developments.
“Lately, Rwomushana has gone quiet about attacking Besigye. Maybe he’s being smart, or maybe he’s realised the whole thing was built on a shaky guy and recordings that no longer exist. Wild times,” Kiiza added.
Kiiza’s remarks introduce fresh controversy into one of Uganda’s most politically charged criminal prosecutions.
While he maintains that the prosecution’s evidence is unreliable, the state has continued to pursue the case in court.
As of now, Rwomushana has not been charged in connection with the alleged conspiracy, despite Kiiza’s assertion that his name appears in prosecution evidence relating to the alleged meetings.
The state has not publicly responded to Kiiza’s latest claims.
