A prosecution witness in the treason trial involving veteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye has told court that he used a fake $5 million financial offer, promises of weapons and military training to gain access to a group he alleges was planning to overthrow President Yoweri Museveni’s government.
Andrew Wilson Orlando, described before court as a British-American private security investigator, told the High Court in Kampala that he presented himself as a wealthy foreign financier with access to money, weapons and military support in order to gather information about the alleged plot.
Orlando said he used a fictitious company, fake associates and covert recording equipment during meetings with Besigye and Ugandan national Joel Wakayima, who is based in Switzerland.
He told Justice Emmanuel Baguma that his objective was to gain the confidence of the group by pretending to offer financial and logistical support for their alleged activities.
“We were to deliver hand grenades, code-named ‘pineapples’, at the training point in Kisumu, Kenya,” Orlando testified.
The witness said he claimed that his associates were ready to provide $5 million, which would allegedly be deposited on a Dubai bank account accessible to Besigye.
However, Orlando told court that the company and financiers behind the offer were not real and were part of his undercover operation.
He said he secretly recorded his conversations with Besigye and Wakayima using hidden recording devices, including a camera concealed inside a mobile power bank.
Orlando explained that during one meeting in Geneva, Besigye suggested that they meet at his apartment, but he declined because he had already prepared his own location for covert recording.
The witness said he wanted the discussions to take place at his residence because changing locations would have affected his ability to capture the conversations.
According to Orlando, some of the discussions involved plans for military training in Kisumu, Kenya, and the possible acquisition and transportation of weapons.
He told court that when difficulties emerged over delivering the promised weapons, Wakayima allegedly provided coordinates of an airfield in the Democratic Republic of Congo that could potentially be used.
Orlando said he later began giving excuses for failing to deliver the promised equipment after deciding to cooperate with Ugandan security agencies.
The witness also made claims about an alleged plan to attack President Museveni using drones, saying discussions took place about how such an operation could be carried out.
He testified that he questioned whether the group would have enough support to take control of Kampala after any planned operation.
According to Orlando, Besigye allegedly responded that he had support from senior serving military officers who would help the group take over leadership.
The witness further claimed that discussions included the possibility of using drones against Museveni and debates about who would take responsibility for such an action.
Orlando told court that Besigye allegedly rejected the idea of claiming responsibility because it could damage their public image and make them unpopular.
He claimed that discussions later considered blaming another armed group for the alleged operation.
However, the court has not made any findings confirming the existence of an assassination plan or that Besigye participated in such a plan.
Orlando also testified about an alleged plan to organise paramilitary training for between 40 and 60 people in Kisumu, saying he had promised to provide support for the programme.
He said the proposed training failed after he did not deliver the weapons and resources he had promised.
The prosecution alleges that Besigye and others were involved in activities aimed at overthrowing the government by force between 2023 and 2024 in Uganda, Kenya, Switzerland and Greece.
The state says it will rely on Orlando’s testimony alongside audio and video recordings, communication records and other evidence during the trial.
Besigye, a retired army colonel and four-time presidential candidate, has denied allegations that he planned to overthrow the government through force.
The trial continues as court examines the evidence presented by the prosecution and the defence prepares to respond to the allegations.
