There was dramatic tension at the High Court in Kampala on Wednesday after opposition veteran Dr. Kizza Besigye suddenly collapsed in the dock during the hearing of his treason case.
The courtroom was thrown into confusion as lawyers, court officials and security personnel rushed to his aid, forcing the proceedings to stop.
The incident came shortly after the prosecution called its first witness, Andy Wilson Orlando, a British-American national expected to testify against Besigye and his co-accused.
Before the witness could proceed with testimony, Besigye repeatedly objected to the continuation of the trial. He insisted that his constitutional right to choose his own lawyers had been violated after he rejected the lawyers appointed by the state.
Besigye told the judge that his personal legal team had withdrawn from the case because of intimidation and security concerns, and argued that he should not be forced to proceed with lawyers he did not select.
Justice Emmanuel Baguma rejected the request to halt the trial, ruling that the accused had been given enough time to consult the state-appointed advocates and that the hearing could continue even as another High Court judge considers a separate application challenging the legal representation arrangement.
Court assessors were then sworn in, a move Besigye also opposed.
His co-accused, UPDF Capt. Denis Oola, told court that he had accepted the state-appointed legal team, including Sarah Awero, Julius Serwangala and Sylvia Namawejje.
Besigye and Hajj Obeid Lutale maintained that they were still reviewing a list of more than 700 advocates under the state brief scheme and had not yet made a final choice of counsel. They argued that the lawyers appointed by the state lacked the experience needed for a case involving complex constitutional, international and electronic evidence.
Moments later, as the prosecution began presenting evidence, Besigye suddenly slumped in the dock.
The development triggered immediate concern inside the courtroom. Proceedings were halted as court personnel and security officers responded.
Lawyers Lulume Bayiga and Nicholas Kamara attempted to reach Besigye to provide first aid, but prison officers initially prevented them from accessing him, leading to a brief standoff before court officials intervened.
Two ambulances later arrived at the High Court premises, and Besigye was eventually taken away for medical attention.
The dramatic collapse came against the backdrop of a bitter dispute over legal representation. Besigye has largely been representing himself after members of his defence team stopped appearing in court.
The lawyers previously cited what they described as a hostile environment for the defence, including the arrest of lead counsel Erias Lukwago and the refusal to allow Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua entry into Uganda.
Earlier this month, the High Court ruled that the treason trial would proceed despite objections relating to the absence of the accused persons’ preferred lawyers.
Besigye, Hajj Obeid Lutale and UPDF Capt. Denis Oola are accused of plotting to overthrow the government through alleged meetings held in Uganda and abroad. All three deny the charges.
By press time, no official statement had been issued on Besigye’s condition, and court had not announced when the hearing would resume.
