Thirty-six members of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), associated with the party’s Katonga faction, have been remanded to Luzira prison until August 13 on charges of terrorism.
The group, consisting of both men and women, was apprehended in Kisumu, Kenya, and subsequently deported to Uganda. They were presented before the Chief Magistrates Court in Nakawa, Kampala.
Chief Magistrate Elias Kakooza ruled that the accused could not enter pleas for the terrorism charges, as these are under the jurisdiction of the High Court’s International Crimes Division.
The 36 individuals had traveled to Kenya on July 23 for a leadership and governance training course, according to their legal representatives and party officials. However, they were detained by Kenyan authorities, who later deported them to Uganda.
During their detention, the group reportedly had their belongings, including computers and phones, confiscated. Dr. Kizza Besigye, a prominent figure in the FDC and a long-time critic of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, stated on the X platform that the group suffered torture, with several members sustaining injuries.
The Ugandan court’s charge sheet accuses the individuals of traveling to Kenya with the intent to engage in or receive terrorist training. They are currently being held in a prison located about 50 kilometers northwest of Kampala.
Just last week, over 100 young Ugandans were detained for participating in protests against widespread corruption within the government, inspired by similar youth-led demonstrations in Kenya that pressured President William Ruto to reconsider proposed tax increases.
