Erias Lukwago, lawyer for opposition leader Besigye, charged with treason‑related offence

In a heavy‑handed move, prosecutor’s office in Kampala filed a treason‑related charge against Erias Lukwago, the former mayor of Arua and legal representative of jailed opposition figure Kizza Besigye.

Lukwago appeared before a magistrate’s court after being detained on Monday. He denied the accusations that he failed to report treason and was remanded in prison until the case will be heard next week.

The arrest drew widespread condemnation, especially after the nation’s army chief, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, bragged on social media about the detention, further inflaming tensions between the state and the opposition. Former opposition MP Bobi Wine claimed Lukwago was seized on Kainerugaba’s orders while he was preparing to serve a summons on the military leader.

In response, Lukwago’s family petitioned the court to compel security officers, who they say abducted him, to disclose his whereabouts, demanding release “dead or alive.” They argued that Kainerugaba’s public claims of action against the lawyer constituted an admission of responsibility.

As Lukwago battles the charges, Besigye remains on trial for treason after being forcibly returned from Kenya to Uganda late last year. Besigye, a long‑standing political rival of President Yoweri Museveni, has been detained on several occasions and has run against the president in multiple presidential races.

The unfolding legal drama underscores the fraught relationship between Uganda’s government and its opposition, raising concerns about the use of treason laws as political tools.