Mariam Lutale, daughter of treason suspect Obeid Lutale, has joined the legal team representing her father in the ongoing High Court treason case involving former presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye and Captain Denis Oola.
Mariam is now part of a four-member defence team appointed to represent Lutale. The team comprises her, Obeid’s younger brother Farouk Kizito Kamulegeya, Wilson Kato and Sylas Ogul, all lawyers attached to Baraka Legal Associated Advocates.
The development was confirmed in court on Tuesday after trial judge Justice Emmanuel Baguma said the court had received a letter dated August 24, 2026, formally notifying it that Lutale had instructed the four lawyers to take over his representation.
Mariam had previously drawn public attention during the proceedings after becoming emotional and protesting some of the court’s decisions concerning the trial.
Lutale and Besigye had initially been represented by a larger team led by Kenyan Senior Counsel Martha Karua and former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago. However, the two prominent lawyers became unavailable after Lukwago was arrested and Karua was deported from Uganda.
The developments were followed by the withdrawal of several other defence lawyers, who cited concerns over alleged harassment and intimidation as well as questions about their safety while handling the case.
With the accused persons’ preferred lawyers no longer available, Justice Baguma directed the High Court Registrar to provide Besigye and Lutale with a list of advocates willing to represent them under state brief.
The two accused persons opposed the arrangement, leading the court to appoint Sylvia Namawejje Ebitu, Julius Sserwambala and Sarah Awero to represent them.
Besigye and Lutale subsequently rejected the court-appointed lawyers, while Oola accepted the arrangement on condition that the state-appointed advocates work alongside his preferred lawyer, Major Simon Busagwa.
Trial Continues
Despite the disputes over legal representation, the prosecution has continued presenting its evidence, with private security investigator Andrew Wilson remaining on the witness stand.
Wilson has spent several days giving evidence and presenting audio and video recordings that the prosecution says are linked to alleged efforts to acquire military weapons and train a group of people in military tactics as part of a plan to overthrow the government.
Efforts by the defence to halt proceedings over the absence of Lutale and Besigye’s preferred lawyers previously failed.
Justice Simon Peter Kinobe ruled that the accused persons and their lawyers had not exhausted available alternatives for participating in the proceedings, including the use of Zoom and other video-conferencing platforms.
Another lawyer, Bayern Turinawe, has also expressed interest in representing the accused. His position in the case was, however, still pending clarification on Tuesday, with the court expected to hear from him after a 30-minute break.
Turinawe previously represented Besigye before withdrawing from the case.
Geneva Recordings Played In Court
Meanwhile, Wilson continued presenting evidence on Tuesday, including lengthy audio recordings allegedly connected to meetings held in Geneva.
Among the recordings played in court were discussions that the prosecution says touched on the alleged use of counterfeit currency to destabilise Uganda’s economy, military training for about 50 people and plans involving Joel Wakayima.
The prosecution alleges that Wakayima travelled to Kisumu, Kenya, for military training after obtaining a Zambian passport with the assistance of Besigye.
The recordings presented on Tuesday are said to relate to an alleged meeting in Geneva on October 29, 2023, involving Wilson, Wakayima, Besigye and Frank Kihehere.
The court is also expected to hear further recordings allegedly linked to another Geneva meeting said to have taken place on January 28, 2024.
According to the prosecution, Besigye, Lutale and Oola held meetings in Uganda, Kenya, Greece and Switzerland as they allegedly sought funding, weapons and support for paramilitary activities.
The State further alleges that Besigye met a suspected Kurdish intelligence operative identified as Wilson and received US$5,000 to facilitate the movement of 36 Ugandans to Kisumu for military training. The alleged recruits were reportedly intercepted and deported before the training took place.
The prosecution also alleges that Besigye sought to obtain surface-to-air missiles, ricin poison and counterfeit currency and planned to use drones in an alleged plot to assassinate President Yoweri Museveni.
The accused persons have not been convicted of the allegations and remain entitled to the presumption of innocence.
The prosecution says it will rely on witness testimony, audio and video recordings, social media communications, immigration records and telephone data to support its case.
As the trial continues, the addition of Mariam Lutale to her father’s legal team marks another significant development in a case that has been repeatedly disrupted by disputes over legal representation.
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