“You’re Nothing But a Robber” – Gen Tumwiine’s Shócking Outburst at Lawyer Alaka

For senior lawyer Caleb Alaka, the challenges of dealing with the military court began in 2005 when he served as part of the defense team for Dr. Kizza Besigye. At the time, Dr. Besigye, then leader of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), was facing treason charges alongside 22 others, accused of links to the shadowy People's Redemption Army (PRA). If convicted, he risked the death penalty.

The case was heard at the General Court Martial in Makindye, chaired by the late Gen. Elly Tumwiine, who had been its first chairman. During proceedings, Mr. Alaka found himself at odds with the military tribunal after attempting to defend his colleague, Mr. Erias Lukwago, now Kampala Lord Mayor.

Lukwago had objected to the military court’s jurisdiction over civilians, a stance that displeased Gen. Tumwiine. Ordered to remain silent, Lukwago continued making his case, prompting the general to have him arrested for contempt. Alaka, attempting to intervene, was swiftly accused of the same offense.

"Immediately, they declared Lukwago in contempt of court and ordered him into the dock. When I objected, I was also ordered in," Alaka recalls.

The two lawyers were held for seven hours in a foul-smelling holding cell before being sentenced to pay a fine—Shs1,000 in coins. The absurdity of the punishment, however, was not the only bizarre moment of the day.

Alaka recounts how Gen. Tumwiine misunderstood his legal terminology, leading to further tensions.

"Because I was coming from the High Court, I was robed in my professional attire—gown, flaps, and all. When I told him, ‘You cannot take me to the dock because I am robed,’ he thought I was calling him a robber. He said he had tried many robbers before and didn’t care whether I was robbed or not," Alaka says with a chuckle.

Despite the passage of time, Alaka remains critical of the court martial, warning that it can imprison anyone—be it a lawyer, civilian, soldier, or clerk—without restraint. "It has never been a court," he asserts.