Veteran opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye and his aide, Obeid Lutale, have been denied bail for the fourth time after the court ruled that criminal proceedings should not be stayed before plea-taking.

Justice Emmanuel Baguma said granting bail at this stage would be improper since the accused have not yet taken a plea, citing repeated delays caused by defence applications since September.

The ruling sparked protests from the defence team, led by Senior Counsel Martha Karua, who described the move as an ambush and argued that they had not been formally notified of plea taking, a concern echoed by counsel Erias Lukwago, as proceedings continued.