Kampala — Reports have emerged that the Ugandan government is making frantic efforts to salvage the case against opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye and his aide Hajji Obed Lutale, following growing concerns over insufficient evidence that led to their arrest and conviction.
According to highly placed sources, a special team comprising senior prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), and operatives from the military was dispatched last week to Europe in search of crucial evidence.
The delegation is reportedly led by Richard Birivumbuka, a senior prosecutor at the DPP’s office, and is expected to return to the country soon. While abroad, the team has been attempting to liaise with security officials, External Security Organisation (ESO) agents, and government representatives in Switzerland and Greece—countries where Besigye is alleged to have coordinated a coup plot against President Yoweri Museveni.
Sources further revealed that the investigators first engaged counterparts in Kenya, where Besigye and Lutale were dramatically arrested in November 2024, before flying to Europe. However, the search has so far hit a dead end, with reports indicating that the team has failed to trace an alleged arms dealer believed to have provided a critical voice note used in the case.
The development has fueled speculation over the credibility of the state’s case, raising questions about whether the prosecution will be able to substantiate its claims before higher courts.
