British-American national Andrew Wilson, also known as Orlando, has told court that Dr Kizza Besigye brought two pistols loaded with live ammunition to a meeting at Riverside Apartments in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 16, 2024.
Wilson said he and his associate were angered by Besigye's decision to bring the firearms to the meeting, adding that he personally unloaded them after finding them seemingly poorly maintained to ensure the safety of those present.
He said he remained puzzled by why Besigye had brought the weapons to the meeting in the first place.
The meeting, which appears to have been largely dominated by Wilson's unidentified associate, also discussed the alleged disciplining of Joel Wakhayima, who had previously accompanied Besigye to meetings in Geneva.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Wilson told court that there was a belief that Wakhayima had leaked information about training in Kisumu, where 36 Ugandans had earlier been arrested.
The Nairobi meeting is contained in two audio recordings lasting approximately one hour and 50 minutes in total and is reportedly the meeting during which Besigye was arrested.
Wilson said that during the arrest, he had a brief standoff with Kenyan police officers but was eventually able to leave without being arrested, while his associate remained behind.
However, Wilson did not explain how he later retrieved the recording devices, which he said had been taken into the possession of Kenyan authorities following the arrest.
The British-American had previously told court that the video recording was lost during the scuffle.
Although the audio recording device remained on after the arrest, neither Besigye nor Lutale can be heard expressing any dissent in the recording.
Wilson is expected to be cross-examined on September 15, particularly by lawyers representing Obeid Lutale, after completing his presentation of the audio and video recordings.
Lutale is referenced only at the beginning of the recordings, when he exchanges pleasantries with the others. His voice does not feature thereafter.
Wilson told court that he had met Lutale for the first time in the meeting in Kenya.
He said Besigye had introduced Lutale as the person to be contacted if they were unable to reach the veteran opposition politician.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
