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Muhoozi Vows Besigye Will Only Leave Prison “In a Coffin or on His Knees”

Dr Kizza Besigye will only leave prison in a coffin, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba has said, describing the former personal doctor of his father and bush war hero as a “traitor.”
In a message shared by his public relations and information manager, Colonel Chris Magezi, on X, Muhoozi – who is also the Chief of Defence Forces – stated that the only other option for Besigye to walk out of Luzira alive is if he apologises to President Museveni.
“The traitor Besigye will only leave prison in two ways,” the chilling post says. “Either in his coffin after we hang him or shoot him, or on his knees apologising to Mzee.”
This is not the first time Muhoozi has vowed death for Besigye. Earlier in January, before his X account went silent, he posted that the military could execute Besigye on Heroes Day, June 9.
These chilling declarations come after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on Friday, which declared that the General Court Martial lacks the constitutional authority to try civilians, ordering an immediate halt to all such proceedings.
On Monday, the military court in Makindye did not produce Besigye, leading his lawyers in what now looks to have been a wild goose chase around the Prisons Headquarters in Kampala to engage with Dr Johnston Byabashaija, the chief jail-man.
The landmark Supreme Court ruling not only quashed the trial of all civilians but also ordered their release.
However, the situation looked grim hours after the ruling when Col Magezi, in what appeared to be a post by his master, declared that the General Court Martial would continue trying Dr Besigye despite the highest court in the land ruling against military trials for civilians.
“The GENERAL COURT MARTIAL will continue to try ANYONE who conspires to MURDER THE PRESIDENT, commits ARMED REBELLION against Uganda, and engages in TERRORISM against the PEOPLE OF UGANDA,” Magezi said.
“Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES will Colonel Kizza Besigye be RELEASED until he faces the FULL EXTENT of MARTIAL LAW.”
The defiance of the Supreme Court ruling by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has raised alarm among legal experts and civil society, triggering concerns about the erosion of judicial independence.
Critics argue that disregarding Supreme Court authority sets a dangerous precedent, reinforcing fears of unchecked military influence in governance.
In 2022, President Museveni remarked that he had named his son ‘Muhoozi,’ a name he said meant “Avenger,” signaling that anyone who hurts him (Museveni) would face his son’s wrath.
Despite the Supreme Court’s verdict, tension is mounting as legal experts warn that continued defiance could deepen Uganda’s constitutional crisis.
Meanwhile, at the military court in Makindye, the trial of opposition leader Kizza Besigye and his associate Obeid Lutale was abruptly put on hold on Monday after the Supreme Court halted all cases involving civilians.
The decision follows the ruling, which declared that the court martial lacks the constitutional authority to try civilians.
Sources revealed that despite the ruling, hearings for Besigye and others would be rescheduled, with court officials still analyzing the judgment’s implications.
Lawyers for Besigye, including Ernest Kalibbala and Fredrick Mpanga, arrived at the court martial only to be turned away.
“On prompting, counsel Mpanga revealed that soldiers who denied him access to court premises told him the court had no proceedings today,” reporter Shamim Nabakooza reported.
Despite the judgment, there were indications that the hearings would continue in the following week, with officials seeking guidance from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces’ High Command on how to proceed.
The ruling, delivered by Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo on January 31, marked a significant victory for human rights defenders who have long criticized the military court’s role in prosecuting civilians.
The Chief Justice emphasized that the Constitution only grants military tribunals jurisdiction over serving soldiers, deeming the practice of trying civilians in military courts incompatible with the principles of a democratic society governed by the rule of law.
Despite these findings, the UPDF, led by Colonel Magezi, has expressed its resolve to continue military trials for civilians, further complicating the tense political landscape.
President Museveni, reacting to the Supreme Court’s decision, dismissed it with laughter, asserting that Uganda is not governed by judges alone.
“We are not ruled by judges,” he said, signaling his administration’s potential resistance to the Supreme Court’s directive.
The suspension of hearings has left the fate of high-profile cases, including that of Besigye, in limbo. The ongoing standoff between the military and the judiciary could have profound consequences for Uganda’s democracy.