Police Detain FDC leaders over protest against colleagues’ deportation

By Namutebi Sumayiya

At least 13 Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Katonga faction leaders have been arrested and detained at Central Police Station, the acting President of the party, Mr Erias Lukwago, has confirmed.

Police arrested FDC leaders, including Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura and Ingrid Turinawe, as they attempted to march to the Kenya High Commission on Monday, August 5, 2024.

The group wanted to deliver a petition protesting the alleged unfair treatment of 36 colleagues arrested in Kisumu, Kenya, last month and subsequently deported to Uganda. The 36 are currently on remand in Luzira Prison, facing terrorism charges.

Speaking to journalists at CPS, Lukwago condemned the use of force by Police, describing the protest as peaceful and unjustified of such measures. He revealed plans to return to Katonga to determine how to deliver the petition before seeking bail for the detained leaders.

“The team was moving peacefully and we notified whoever was concerned that we are delivering the protest note to the Kenyan High Commission, and all we expected from Police was to give us protection and escort us,” Mr LUkwago said.

It should be remembered that Uganda court charged 36 opposition supporters on Monday with terrorism-related offences after they were deported from neighboring Kenya where they had travelled to attend a training course, court papers seen by Reuters showed.

The 36 people, who are members of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), one of Uganda’s biggest opposition parties, deny the charges. Their lawyer, Erias Lukwago, told reporters outside the magistrates’ court in Kampala the charges were “ridiculous”.

The case comes amid protests by young people in both Uganda and Kenya against corruption, high taxes and other grievances.

Kenyan authorities detained and then deported the 36 people after they had travelled to the western Kenyan city of Kisumu on July 23 to take part in a leadership and governance training course, their lawyer and party officials said.

During their detention in Kenya “their properties were confiscated, including computers and phones. They were tortured and several injured,” Kiiza Besigye, a key figure in the FDC and a veteran opponent of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, said in a post on the X platform on Sunday..

The court charge sheet accused the 36 people of travelling to Kenya “for the purpose of providing or receiving terrorist training”. They are now being held at a prison about 50 kilometres (31 miles) northwest of the capital.

Opposition critics and human rights campaigners have long accused Museveni’s government of using fabricated charges to clamp down on his opponents. Government officials deny this.

Museveni, 79, has led the East African country of 46 million since 1986.

Recently security personnel detained more than 100 young Ugandans for participating in protests against rampant corruption among government officials.

The Ugandan demonstrators were drawing inspiration from weeks of youth-led protests in Kenya that forced President William Ruto to withdraw proposed tax hikes.