FDC Katonga to sue Kenyan government over deportation over party members
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Katonga faction announced on Monday that it will sue the Kenyan government over the arrest, deportation, and detention of 36 party members.
The faction claims that its members were unlawfully detained while attending a leadership seminar in Kenya, despite accusations from Kenyan authorities of terrorism.
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Speaking from their offices in Kampala, interim president Erias Lukwago stated that the FDC had previously petitioned the Kenyan government but had not received a formal response.
“We have decided to take legal action against the Kenyan government. We notified them of our intent and attempted to file a protest note with their ambassador here, but we were interrupted by state operatives,” Lukwago said.
As the faction prepares to take the case to the High Court of Kenya, Lukwago expressed disappointment that instead of supporting the victims of what they consider illegal actions, the Kenyan government appears complicit.
Lukwago also criticized the Ugandan government for alleged human rights violations, including delaying trials and obstructing legal processes. He argued that the Constitution’s provision for a six-month investigation period should not be used to delay justice.
“The Constitution’s provision for a six-month investigation was meant to facilitate pre-trial processes, not to postpone justice,” he asserted.
The faction also accused the Ugandan government of undermining constitutional rights by denying open trials.
“The right to a fair, speedy, and open trial is non-negotiable. Our colleagues have been denied this right, which is a serious legal violation,” Lukwago added.
Lukwago further criticized delays in processing legal documents by prison authorities, describing it as a deliberate obstruction.
“The state and prison authorities are evading us, making it difficult to finalize the necessary paperwork. We are moving forward despite these obstacles,” he said.
On July 24, thirty-six FDC activists were arrested in Kenya and are facing terrorism charges in a development that has strained Kenya-Uganda relations.
The activists, who were attending a leadership training in Kisumu County near the Ugandan border, were remanded to Luzira Prison. Kenyan police alleged they were in Kenya for terrorism training, a claim condemned by human rights activists.
The arrested individuals are affiliated with the FDC Katonga Road faction, which split from the faction led by Patrick Amuriat and Nandala Mafabi. Some of those arrested include Ronald Muhinda, George Ekwaro, Karl Marx M’Mugeni, Charles Nkonge, Henry Buyondo, Nalunkunga Grace, Apare Sarah, Mpungu Henry, Owamani James, Bukenya Hakim, Maido Latif, George Wazinge, Ahimbisibwe Owen, and Innocent Museveni.
Reports indicate that Kenyan and Ugandan security personnel stormed the hotel where the activists were staying, arresting them violently and deporting them to Uganda in the middle of the night. Upon returning to Kampala, External Security Organisation (ESO) officers paraded the activists before the media, alleging they were involved in terrorist activities.
Despite some trade spats over maize, milk, and oil, Uganda and Kenya have generally enjoyed cordial relations. President Yoweri Museveni is known to be an ally of President Ruto, with both leaders publicly praising each other.
Museveni has long maintained an interest in Kenya, from alleged Ugandan troop deployments during the 2008 election riots to reports of Ugandan intelligence presence during the contested 2022 election between Ruto and Raila Odinga.
Recent protests in Kenya, including the burning of Uganda House, the Ugandan mission in Kenya, have raised questions about the impact of the violent arrest and deportation of FDC activists on the relations between the two countries. The pressure is mounting on Kenyan authorities to clarify their stance on the matter.
Museveni has had longstanding relations with Kenyan leaders, including former presidents Daniel arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki, and Uhuru Kenyatta, and provided a safe haven to Museveni in the 1980s while he was a guerrilla leader of the National Resistance Army
