36 FDC Activists Charged with Terrorism After Kenya Extradition

36 Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) activists who were in Kenya have been charged with terrorism.

The group, which subscribes to the Katonga faction of the FDC, was detained by Kenyan authorities in Kisumu and handed over to Uganda last week.

Paul Mugisha, an external security officer, said that Kenyan security was suspicious of the activities of the Ugandans.

“Kenyan security said they were operating in a group and didn’t have a contact person and a coordinator, so they detected a security threat.” Paul Mugisha said.

However, the Katonga faction, headed by Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, dismissed the claims by security. They emphasized that their members had traveled to Kisumu for leadership training.

According to Mr. Samuel Makokha Mugeni, the group coordinator, this was a routine practice to improve the quality of leadership.

“To improve the leadership of FDC Katonga and close the leadership gap, we sieved a number of people to get more skills in leadership and mobilize others.” Mr. Mugeni said.

Mugeni had also earlier clarified that they entered Kenya using official documents. However, he was concerned with how Kenyan authorities rounded them up.

FDC Katonga Threatens To Go To Court

The Erias Lukwago leadership has since condemned the Kenyan government for contravening international law. They have accused them of illegally extraditing their members in violation of international extradition laws.

Similarly, the FDC Katonga faction has demanded that the Kenyan government address the matter. They have demanded the Kenya to provide a court order that authorizes the extradition.

Amid threats to take both the Kenyan and Ugandan governments to court by the Katonga faction, the activists were presented in court on Monday morning. During the session, a charge of terrorism was read to the 36 FDC activists. The prosecution alleges that on the 22nd and 23rd of July 2024, the 36 traveled to Kisumu, Kenya “to receive terrorism training.”

The group has been remanded to Luzira Prison until August 13th.

By presstime, the Najjanankumbi leadership of FDC hadn’t reacted to the matter.