Ugandan police arrested 14 opposition officials and supporters on Monday as they marched through Kampala towards the Kenyan embassy, local media reported. The protesters, members of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), were demonstrating against Kenya’s recent detention and deportation of their colleagues.
Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango stated that the arrests were made for “participating in unlawful assembly activities.” The group, which included two lawmakers, was later charged in a magistrate’s court with being “a public nuisance,” according to court documents seen by Reuters.
This incident follows the July 23 detention of 36 FDC members by Kenyan authorities. The group had traveled to Kenya for a training course but was deported to Uganda and subsequently charged with terrorism-related offenses, which they denied.
The arrests and deportations come amid a backdrop of anti-government demonstrations in both Uganda and Kenya, though Kampala’s streets remained largely quiet on Monday apart from the protest march.
In court, all 14 defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Four were released on bail, while the others were remanded to prison until their next court appearance on August 7, according to an unnamed FDC official present at the hearing.
Opposition critics and human rights campaigners have long accused President Yoweri Museveni’s government of using fabricated charges to suppress political opponents. Government officials deny these allegations.
Museveni, 79, has led Uganda, an East African nation of 46 million people, since 1986. His long tenure and the recent crackdown on opposition activities have raised concerns about the state of democracy in the country.
The arrests highlight the ongoing tensions between the Ugandan government and opposition groups, as well as the broader political challenges facing the East African region. As both Uganda and Kenya grapple with public dissent, the international community continues to monitor the situation closely.
