Efforts by Dr Kizza Besigye's legal team, led by Kenyan opposition figure and former Justice Minister Martha Karua, to meet Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo at the High Court in Kampala on December 3, 2024, bore no fruit.
Both the Chief Justice and his deputy were absent, leaving the team's questions about delayed rulings in the 2021 Michael Kabaziguruka case unanswered.
Karua, accompanied by Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and a handful of legal colleagues, arrived at the court premises by 9:30 a.m., seeking an audience with the judiciary's top official.
The team was there to address a long-pending Supreme Court order barring the trial of civilians in military courts, a directive that remains unenforced three years later.
A Cold Reception
The visit was far from welcoming. Press access was restricted as the legal team made its way to the Chief Justice's office.
Hours of waiting yielded little progress, with the group later confirming that neither the Chief Justice nor his deputy was available to meet them.
"We went to the Chief Justice's office, and we were told he's not available. Even his deputy wasn't available," said Lukwago, visibly disappointed.
Karua expressed frustration over the judiciary's inaction, emphasizing that the delay was enabling continued misuse of military courts to prosecute civilians, including Besigye.
"We wanted to ask the Chief Justice why, for three years, there has been no ruling on this case, even when all hearings were concluded," Karua told reporters.
"The delay is an injustice that the Court Martial continues to exploit."
Lukwago also questioned the commitment of the Supreme Court to its earlier ruling.
"We wanted to ask him if the intention of the Supreme Court's 2021 order was truly to deliver justice. Some of those who issued the order have since passed, yet the Court Martial continues to receive more cases involving civilians."
Karua, a key figure in Besigye's legal team, revealed she is still awaiting her practicing certificate to represent cases in Uganda but remains optimistic.
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"They told me it would take a few days, and I'm waiting. More colleagues are joining the team, and the system should be ready soon," Karua said.
The unresolved Kabaziguruka case has drawn attention to the judiciary's capacity to address politically sensitive issues.
As Besigye's legal team awaits a breakthrough, questions about Uganda's justice system and its treatment of civilians under military jurisdiction remain in the spotlight.
