Besigye, Lutale seek court permission to serve Gen. Muhoozi through newspaper notices

What the report says

Jailed Ugandan opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye and his co-accused Hajji Obeid Lutale have asked the High Court in Kampala to let them serve Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba through substituted service, including newspaper notices, after they say direct delivery of court papers proved impractical. The request was filed in the High Court Civil Division and is tied to a broader human rights case arising from the deportation of Kenyan senior counsel Martha Karua.

According to The Independent Uganda, the pair argue that process servers were unwilling to approach Gen. Muhoozi because of safety concerns, and they say the court should allow other methods such as publication in selected newspapers or leaving the papers at a last known residence or workplace. Their lawyer, Morgan Muhindo, said in an affidavit that some servers feared for their security and did not want their identities disclosed in court records.

The application follows case-management directions issued on July 17 by Acting High Court Judge Simon Peter Kinobe, who ordered service on both Gen. Muhoozi and the Attorney General before the matter could continue. Besigye and Lutale say the process has stalled because service has not been completed.

The underlying case challenges Karua’s June 2026 removal from Uganda, which the applicants say violated their rights to legal representation and a fair hearing. For the court, the immediate issue is whether alternative service will be allowed before the constitutional petition can proceed.