Kenyan Senior Counsel Martha Karua today joined Ugandan opposition leaders and lawyers at the High Court in Kampala, where proceedings involving veteran opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye are set to be heard.
Karua, a prominent lawyer and former Kenyan justice minister, stood alongside Ugandan political figures and legal representatives including counsel Erias Lukwago, legislators Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda and Francis Mwijukye, as well as Ambassador Wasswa Biriggwa.
The team arrived at the court premises this morning in a show of solidarity with Besigye.
By mid-morning, around 10:30am, journalists and PFF supporters were still waiting outside as security and court officials managed access to the courtroom.
The heightened anticipation reflected the weight of the proceedings, which are expected to attract significant public interest.
Dr Besigye, a retired colonel, veteran political figure and long-time advocate for democratic reforms, co-founded the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) as a platform to push for change in Uganda.
His latest legal battle has added to his long record of confrontations with the state, fueling debate over political freedoms and accountability.
Besigye and his associate Obeid Lutale were controversially arrested in Nairobi where they had gone to attend Karua's book launch in November 2024.
They were illegally extradited to Uganda and charged in the military court before the Supreme Court judgement of January 30, 2025, stripped the military court of powers to try civilians.
Detained further, the state charged them afresh with treason and misprison of treason.
The attendance of Karua and other high-profile figures has been widely interpreted as a signal of growing solidarity across borders for the PFF leader.
Observers note that the case could carry both legal and political implications, with potential ramifications for Uganda’s opposition politics as well as regional democratic struggles.
This news developing story will be updated
