Dr Kizza Besigye’s co-accused, Hajji Obeid Lutale, has instructed his daughter, lawyer Mariam Lutale, to join his legal team in the ongoing treason case before the High Court in Kampala.
Mariam appeared in court on Tuesday alongside three other lawyers from Baraka Legal Associated Advocates. The team also includes Lutale’s younger brother, Farouk Kizito Kamulegeya, Wilson Kato and Sylas Ogul.
Justice Emmanuel Baguma told the court that he had received a letter dated August 24, 2026, in which Lutale formally instructed the four lawyers to represent him.
Mariam had previously become emotional and protested some of the decisions made during the trial of her father.
For more than a month, Lutale has appeared in court alongside Besigye and Captain Denis Oola without personal legal representation.
The development comes after the legal teams representing Besigye and Lutale withdrew from the case following the deportation of Kenyan Senior Counsel Martha Karua, who had been leading Besigye’s defence team, with former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago as her deputy.
Nearly 50 lawyers who had been involved in the case subsequently withdrew, citing concerns including alleged harassment and intimidation by the State, as well as fears for their safety.
The court later directed the Registrar of the High Court to provide the accused with a list of lawyers available under the state brief system so that they could choose those they wanted to represent them.
Besigye and Lutale rejected the lawyers offered to them. Captain Oola accepted the court-appointed lawyers on condition that they work together with his preferred lawyer, Major Simon Busagwa.
The court-appointed lawyers were Sylvia Namawejje Ebitu, Julius Sserwambala and Sarah Awero.
The trial subsequently continued with testimony from prosecution witness Andrew Wilson, a private security investigator. Wilson has been presenting audio and video recordings that the prosecution says are evidence of meetings allegedly linked to plans to overthrow the Ugandan government.
Lutale, however, continued attending the proceedings without a lawyer representing him.
An earlier attempt to challenge the lack of legal representation did not succeed after Justice Simon Peter Kinobe ruled that the accused and their lawyers had not sufficiently explored alternative ways of participating in the proceedings, including Zoom and video conferencing.
Another lawyer, Bayern Turinawe, also appeared in court and is expected to clarify his position after a break. Turinawe had previously represented Besigye before withdrawing his instructions.
Meanwhile, Wilson continued presenting recordings from meetings allegedly held in Geneva. On Tuesday, the court heard another lengthy recording lasting more than two hours.
According to the prosecution, the recording contains discussions about the use of counterfeit currency to destabilise Uganda’s economy, training about 50 people in military skills, and arrangements involving Joel Wakayima and travel to Kisumu, Kenya.
The prosecution says the recordings relate to a meeting held in Geneva on October 29, 2023, involving Wilson, Wakayima, Besigye and Frank Kihehere. More recordings from another Geneva meeting held on January 28, 2024, are expected to be played.
Besigye, Lutale and Captain Oola are jointly charged with treason over allegations that they plotted to overthrow the government.
The prosecution alleges that the accused held meetings in Uganda, Kenya, Greece and Switzerland to raise funds, obtain weapons and organise paramilitary activities.
The State further alleges that Besigye met Wilson, whom prosecutors describe as an alleged Kurdish intelligence operative, and received US$5,000 to facilitate the movement of 36 Ugandans to Kisumu for military training.
Prosecutors also allege that Besigye sought to acquire surface-to-air missiles, ricin poison and counterfeit currency, and planned to use drones to assassinate President Yoweri Museveni.
The prosecution says it will rely on witness testimony, audio and video recordings, social media communications, immigration records and telephone data in the case.
