Winnie Byanyima Petitions High Court for Besigye Unconditional Release

Four time presidential candidate Dr. Kiiza Besigye’s wife Winnie Byanyima has asked court to issue orders compelling the Attorney General and the commissioner General of prisons to unconditionally release her husband and his political aide Hajji Obeid Lutale from Luzira prison.

Byanyima in her affidavit contends that Dr. Besigye and Hajji Obeid Lutale are currently held  illegally by Luzira prison following a  last week’s Supreme Court decison that banned the trial of civilians before millitary courts . 

Byanyima through her lawyers states that the continued remand of the duo is an infringement on their right to Liberty guaranted in the Constitution. 

She now demands that the Highcourt issues an Habeus Corpus to produce Dr. Besigye and Hajji Lutale dead or alive.

Dr. Besigye and Hajji Lutale last appeared before the court martial on 14th/ January/ 2025 and were further remanded  on charges of Treachery, unlawfully of possession firearms and ammution, they have been in detention since November last year following their arrest in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday the Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka told MPs that he has already ordered the military court to provide him with a list of all cases involving civilians.

Kiryowa was responding to the deputy speaker’s request to explain to the house how far government has gone in implementing the directive of the supreme court ruling nullifying trial of civilians in the court martial.

Kiryowa Kiwanuka told parliament that when he got the supreme Court’s ruling, he ordered the heads of court martial to immediately stop trying civilians and also ordered the director of public prosecutions to coordinate with the heads of the court martial such that cases involving civilians be taken to civilian courts.