Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A group of 36 members from the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Katonga faction have been remanded to Luzira Prison on charges of terrorism. The group, comprising 34 men and 2 women, appeared before the Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Elias Kakooza, on Monday.
They were not allowed to respond to the charges due to the nature of the terrorism offense, which falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court. The prosecution alleges that between July 22nd and 23rd, 2024, the group, along with others still at large, traveled from various places in Uganda to Kisumu, Kenya, to provide or receive terrorist training.
Chief State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka, representing the prosecution, stated that investigations are ongoing. The group has been remanded until August 31st, 2024. Trouble began for the group on July 22nd, 2024 when they reportedly departed for a week-long training aimed at improving young leaders’ leadership and communication skills.
The training was scheduled to run from July 23rd to July 30th at the Ukweli Pastoral and Leadership Centre in Kisumu, Kenya, according to reports from the FDC Katonga section. The group was allegedly arrested at gunpoint on July 23rd by masked men, loaded onto trucks, and driven overnight to arrive in Busia at 6 a.m. on July 24th, where they were transferred to Ugandan minibusses.
The leadership training was intended to precede the Delegates Conference set for August 8th, 2024, where party leaders would be elected. On July 24th, 2024, at Kololo Independence Grounds, the External Security Organization (ESO) Liaison and Protocol Officer informed journalists that the group was arrested in Kisumu for engaging in suspicious activities unknown to Kenyan authorities. He mentioned that Kenyan security notified them of the arrests and, following negotiations, it was decided that the group would be brought back to Uganda rather than being held in Kenyan prisons.
The arrest of the FDC members comes at a time when Kenya is recovering from violent protests caused by the controversial Finance Bill, which many Kenyans opposed due to its tax increases affecting ordinary citizens. The protests, led by youth dubbed “Generation Z,” resulted in property destruction, looting, and the burning of some government buildings, with over 40 reported deaths. Weeks later, Ugandan citizens attempted similar protests against corruption in their country.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has stated that the Ugandan protestors were planning much worse than the “idle and disorderly” charges filed by the police. Museveni claimed that the police officer who preferred the charges was unaware of the intelligence he possessed, promising evidence that would shock the nation.
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