Ugandan police arrested 14 opposition officials and supporters on Monday as they marched through the capital towards the Kenyan embassy to protest Nairobi’s detention and deportation of their colleagues, local media reported.
The arrests follow last month’s deportations and occur amidst anti-government demonstrations in both Kenya and Uganda. Despite these protests, Kampala remained largely quiet on Monday.
Kenyan authorities detained 36 members of Uganda’s opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) on July 23 during their visit for a training course. The group was deported to Uganda and charged with terrorism-related offenses, which they denied.
On Monday, 14 more opposition members, including two lawmakers, protested the treatment of their colleagues. They were arrested for “participating in unlawful assembly activities,” police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said. They were later charged with being “a public nuisance.”
The accused pleaded not guilty. Four were released on bail, while the others were remanded to prison and will return to court on August 7, an FDC official reported.
Critics and human rights activists accuse President Yoweri Museveni’s government of fabricating charges to suppress opposition. Government officials deny these claims. Museveni, 79, has led Uganda since 1986.