Inside courtrooms: The cases putting powerful figures under the spotlight

The courts delivered a week of big proceedings that stretched from free speech and corruption to extradition, terrorism and the leadership of key public institutions.

Former cabinet ministers, senior parliamentary officials, veteran journalists, opposition figures and former military officers all appeared before the courts as judges and magistrates confronted cases with far-reaching political, legal and institutional implications.

MATEMBE WALKS

One of the week’s most closely watched cases unfolded at Luzira Magistrates Court, where former Ethics and Integrity Minister Dr Miria Matembe secured bail after being charged with promoting sectarianism over remarks she made during a June television interview.

Prosecutors allege that Matembe made statements suggesting tax revenue was being disproportionately spent on Banyankole women ministers, comments they say amounted to sectarianism under Ugandan law.

Sectarianism laws are intended to prohibit speech that promotes hostility or discrimination based on ethnicity, religion or other group identities. Grade One Magistrate Sheilah Gloria Atim granted Matembe bail on a non-cash bond of Shs3 million, while each of her sureties was bonded in the same amount.

The court also directed her not to make further statements that could amount to sectarianism while the case remains before the courts. In granting bail, the magistrate cited Matembe’s advanced age, her clean criminal record and her standing in society. She rejected the prosecution’s argument that the former minister posed a flight risk or lacked a fixed place of residence.

Elsewhere, another case raised questions about media regulation in Uganda’s digital age. Veteran journalist Timothy Kalyegira, also known as Nyakahuma, appeared before the Kira Chief Magistrate’s Court on two counts of broadcasting without a licence under the Uganda Communications Act.

According to prosecutors, Kalyegira operated two online media platforms, The Kampala Express between 2013 and 2026 and The Uganda Records from 2014, without authorisation from the Uganda Communications Commission. The 58-year-old was remanded to Luzira Prison and is expected back in court on July 16.

TWELVE LAW FIRMS RALLY BEHIND JAILED BESIGYE

The week’s proceedings also exposed the growing legal challenges surrounding opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye. In an unusual show of solidarity, twelve law firms joined forces to represent Besigye and his co-accused, Hajj Obeid Lutale, after two of their lead lawyers became unavailable within days of each other.

Former Kenyan Justice Minister Martha Karua, who had joined Besigye’s legal team, was recently declared persona non grata and denied entry into Uganda. Around the same time, prominent Ugandan lawyer Erias Lukwago was arrested and remanded on charges related to misprision of treason, leaving Besigye’s defence significantly weakened.

Despite those setbacks, Besigye and Lutale made it clear they had no intention of abandoning either lawyer. In a July 1 letter written from Luzira Prison to Justice Emmanuel Baguma, they accused the State of deliberately dismantling their legal representation and argued that forcing them to appoint alternative counsel would violate their constitutional right to a fair hearing.

They rejected the judge’s proposal that substitute lawyers be appointed, describing the suggestion as impractical given the realities of preparing a defence while in custody. They also complained that they had still been unable to adequately review the prosecution’s evidence despite earlier court orders allowing electronic consultations.

The pair further challenged the court’s timetable for hearing their bail application. Justice Baguma had directed the State to file its response by July 1, required the defence to submit a rejoinder by July 2 and scheduled the hearing for July 3.

Besigye and Lutale argued that those timelines were impossible to meet while detained and without their preferred legal team. Instead, they sought a three-week adjournment. In a related human rights case against Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and two other military officers over Besigye’s November 2024 arrest in Nairobi, the two accused questioned whether the respondents had been properly served.

They noted that none of the reply affidavits had been sworn personally by the officers and indicated they would seek to cross-examine them. They also filed a fresh application asking the court to first determine the dispute over legal representation. While Besigye’s legal battle continued, Uganda’s Anti-Corruption Court opened proceedings in one of the country’s biggest alleged public sector fraud cases in recent years.

CHRIS OBORE AND OTHERS REMANDED

Seven senior Parliament officials and the chief executive of the Uganda Parliamentary Sacco were remanded to Luzira Prison after appearing on charges linked to the alleged embezzlement of more than Shs70 billion in public funds.

Grade One Magistrate Esther Asiimwe read nine charges against Parliament’s Director of Communications Chris Obore Ariko, Human Resource Director Daniel Adilo, Speaker’s Office Secretary Leonard Okema, four other parliamentary officials and Uganda Parliamentary Sacco chief executive Methods Murebe.

A ninth suspect, office supervisor Stella Itute, was charged in her absence. According to prosecutors, acting on charges authorised by the Inspector General of Government Justice Aisha Naluze Batiibwe, the accused diverted funds intended for parliamentary donations and corporate social responsibility programmes between 2023 and May 2026, causing government losses estimated at Shs 27.201 billion.

Six of the accused also face money laundering charges involving Shs10.893 billion. The magistrate declined to take pleas, ruling that the money laundering offences fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court rather than the Anti-Corruption Court.

She granted the prosecution time to prepare committal papers while defence lawyers requested copies of the charge sheets and an early return date to enable them to apply for bail. The accused had earlier been summoned to the Inspectorate of Government to record additional statements before being arrested.

LUKWAGO FAILS TO SHOW IN COURT

Health concerns also interrupted proceedings involving Erias Lukwago. The former Kampala Lord Mayor was unable to appear in court after the Uganda Prisons Service informed the court in writing that he was undergoing specialised medical investigations and treatment.

Speaking after the closed-door hearing, Lukwago’s lawyer, Medard Lubega Ssegona, said both prison authorities and medical personnel had concluded that interrupting his treatment would be unsafe given his condition.

Ssegona said lawyers had visited Mulago National Referral Hospital, where Lukwago was reportedly admitted, and confirmed that he appeared physically weak. According to the defence, Lukwago is suffering from a suspected dislocated spinal disc together with a declining white blood cell count that has raised concerns about infection.

Another case with international implications emerged before the courts as Uganda began extradition proceedings against former Uganda People’s Defence Forces officer Michael Katungi Mpeirwe.

KATUNGI EXTRADITION

The United States is seeking Katungi’s extradition over allegations that he participated in a conspiracy involving drug trafficking, arms smuggling and terrorism financing.

American prosecutors allege that Katungi, working alongside Bulgarian, Kenyan and Tanzanian nationals, conspired from at least September 2022 to supply military-grade weapons, including machine guns, rocket launchers, anti-aircraft systems and surface- to-air missiles, to Mexico’s Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, an organisation designated a foreign terrorist group in 2025.

Prosecutors say the weapons were intended to facilitate a cocaine trafficking operation targeting the United States. State attorneys argued that Uganda’s handling of the request is consistent with its obligations under the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

Katungi, represented by lawyer Samuel Kakande, opposed the extradition request, arguing that the defence had not yet received the documents underpinning the State’s case and seeking his release on bail.

Prosecutors countered that the hearing was limited to determining whether Katungi consented to extradition and argued that applications for bail and disclosure were premature because formal extradition proceedings had not yet commenced.

The High Court also issued one of the week’s most consequential civil rulings by temporarily blocking the appointment of a substantive Chief Executive Officer of the Insurance Regulatory Authority of Uganda.

Outgoing CEO Kaddunabbi Ibrahim Lubega challenged the Board’s decision not to recommend him for another term after his five-year contract expired on May 31, 2026. Justice Joyce Kavuma rejected arguments that the matter had become irrelevant because an acting CEO had already assumed office. Instead, the judge ruled that the recruitment process remained ongoing.

“The events that happened on the 01/06/2026 are the first steps in a continuous process which has not ended,” the court ruled.

The judge concluded that while the acting appointment could not be reversed, Lubega’s right to a fair process deserved protection.

“The balance of convenience tilts in favour of the applicant who is likely to suffer irreparable harm if this application is not granted,” the ruling stated.

The injunction prevents the permanent appointment of a CEO until the main application is determined.

JOAN NAMAZZI KAGEZI

Finally, the International Crimes Division of the High Court delivered a significant ruling in the long-running prosecution over the 2015 murder of Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Namazzi Kagezi.

Three accused, Kibuuka John, Massajjage John, also known as Mubiru Brian, and Nasur Abdallah Mugonole, were ordered to present their defence after the court found they had a case to answer on murder charges.

However, the court acquitted all three of terrorism. The ruling followed testimony from 26 prosecution witnesses, including telecommunications analysts, protected witnesses and a traditional healer who allegedly performed rituals for the accused after the killing.

The prosecution also relied on evidence from Daniel Kisekka Kiwanuka, who previously entered a plea bargain and testified that the group had been recruited and paid to assassinate Kagezi using firearms and motorcycles.

On the murder charge, the court found the prosecution had established a prima facie case, ruling that the accused were “not innocent bystanders, but active participants.”

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