You are Helping Museveni Suppress Dissent, Uganda Opposition Tells Kenya

The arrest and deportation of 36 members of Uganda's opposition party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), have sparked widespread controversy and concerns about the cooperation between Kenyan and Ugandan authorities in suppressing political dissent in Uganda. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups, opposition leaders, and local authorities, casting a shadow over the relationship between the two East African nations. The controversy began on July 23, 2024, when dozens of FDC members attending a leadership training workshop at the Ukweli Catholic Pastoral Centre in Kisumu, Kenya, were rounded up by a joint operation involving Ugandan and Kenyan security forces. The group, consisting of 34 men and two women, was forcibly returned to Uganda under the cover of night and later charged with terrorism in Kampala's Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court. Ugandan authorities claimed the activists had traveled to Kenya for terrorist training, a narrative that has been widely rejected as politically motivated. FDC members and other opposition figures argue that the charges are part of a broader strategy to silence dissent in Uganda. Kenya’s involvement in the arrests has come under intense scrutiny, especially after Nyanza Regional Police Commander Patrick Tito denied any knowledge of the incident. "I am not aware of any arrests of foreigners in Kisumu. I am just reading those details like any other person is, in the media," Tito stated. Despite these denials, Kenyan security forces are widely believed to have been involved, raising concerns about Kenya's complicity in Uganda’s internal political repression. Kisumu County Governor Prof. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o condemned the arrests and called on Kenyan security authorities to clarify their involvement. "As the governor of Kisumu, where the incident occurred, I challenge the Kenyan police to confirm whether its officers were involved in the arrest and deportation of the Ugandans and to explain the reasons behind the incident," Nyong’o said in a statement. In response, the FDC announced plans to formally protest to the Kenyan High Commission in Kampala, accusing Kenyan and Ugandan security agents of colluding to suppress opposition politics. Erias Lukwago, the Katonga faction party president, emphasized that the group had lawfully entered Kenya for training and that their arrest and deportation violated their rights. The incident has intensified scrutiny of Kenya-Uganda relations, raising questions about the legal and diplomatic implications of such actions. While Kenya and Uganda have historically cooperated under East African Community protocols on extradition, the manner in which the FDC members were arrested and deported has raised concerns about the erosion of these protocols and respect for international human rights standards.
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