Ugandan Lawyer Charged with Treason‑Related Offence After Arrest Linked to Opposition

Thu Jun 18 2026 14:50:13 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Erias Lukwago, the lawyer for detained opposition figure Kizza Besigye, was arrested, charged with a treason‑related offence and remanded in prison amid political tensions in Uganda.

Erias Lukwago, a former mayor and legal representative of opposition leader Kizza Besigye, was arrested at his home and charged with a treason‑related offence in Kampala. He denied the charges and was remanded until next week. The arrest followed a boastful post by army chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba on social media, prompting condemnation from opposition figures such as Bobi Wine. Lukwago’s family has sought court orders to disclose his whereabouts, challenging alleged abduction by security forces. This case underscores the escalating crackdown on political opposition in Uganda.

Erias Lukwago faces treason‑related charge after arrest linked to opposition

Erias Lukwago, a former mayor of Kampala and lawyer for opposition leader Kizza Besigye, appeared before a magistrate’s court in the capital. He was photographed looking visibly weak, a description echoed by local media following his arrest at home.

Lukwago was charged with a treason‑related offence – failure to report treason – and denied the allegations. He was remanded in prison until the case will be heard next week.

The arrest sparked condemnation after Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s army chief and the president’s son, boasted on social media that he had ordered the seizure. Opposition politician Bobi Wine said the lawyer had been taken at the behest of Kainerugaba while he was preparing to serve a court summons on the military chief.

Lukwago’s family filed a court complaint demanding that security officers disclose his whereabouts and release him, accusing the forces of abduction. Their argument was that Kainerugaba openly claimed responsibility for Lukwago’s seizure and made brutal posts about mistreating him.

The lawyer has represented Besigye, who has been detained on treason charges since being abducted in Kenya and forcibly returned to Uganda in late 2024. Besigye is a long‑standing political rival of President Yoweri Museveni, having served as his personal doctor before publicly breaking ranks in 1999. He has run for president multiple times and faced repeated detentions.