The charges against Besigye have drawn widespread international condemnation. He and his associate, Hajj Obeid Lutale, were abducted in Nairobi’s Riverside Drive and taken across the border under controversial circumstances. The incident occurred shortly after Besigye attended the launch of Martha Karua’s memoir in Nairobi
Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua is set to spearhead a team of over 50 lawyers in the defense of Uganda’s opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, who faces gun-related charges in a military court in Kampala. Karua will take over the case from Kampala’s Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago.
According to Lukwago, the legal team will include professionals from Kenya and Uganda, representing organizations such as the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), and the East African Law Society (EALS).
The charges against Besigye have drawn widespread international condemnation. He and his associate, Hajj Obeid Lutale, were abducted in Nairobi’s Riverside Drive and taken across the border under controversial circumstances. The incident occurred shortly after Besigye attended the launch of Martha Karua’s memoir in Nairobi.
Kenyan security personnel reportedly ransacked Besigye’s hotel room before his forced deportation. Uganda’s Information Minister, Chris Baryomunsi, later admitted that both the Kenyan and Ugandan governments collaborated in the operation, a claim that conflicts with Nairobi’s official stance.
“How would you arrest somebody in the middle of Nairobi and then bring him back to Uganda without the full knowledge and support of the government in Kenya?” Baryomunsi posed during an appearance on NBS TV.
Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei described the situation as regrettable but insisted that the Kenyan government was unaware of the details surrounding Besigye’s stay. “It could have happened on our soil, which is indeed regrettable. But Kenya remains a safe haven for many people and will continue to be so,” Sing’oei affirmed.
Besigye and Lutale face charges including the alleged possession of two pistols and ammunition in Nairobi and accusations of negotiating arms deals in Geneva, Athens, and Nairobi. At the Makindye military court, where Besigye was presented after being held incommunicado, he objected to being tried in a military tribunal. He argued for a civilian trial, but his objections were overruled.
The hearing is scheduled to resume on December 2, with Karua and her team set to mount a robust legal defence against the controversial charges.
