On Thursday, August 1, 2024, a heated exchange erupted in Parliament between Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Semujju Nganda and Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka over the recent arrest of 36 Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) members in Kisumu, Kenya.

The Government claims that the group, now remanded to Luzira Prison, traveled to Kenya on July 22-23 to receive terrorism training. The group consists of 34 men and two women.

During the parliamentary session, Semujju, newly appointed whip of the FDC’s Katonga faction, questioned the repatriation process facilitated by the External Security Organization (ESO) and accused the state of torturing the detainees.

“I don’t know whether Uganda simply walks into another country. We nearly had problems here with Rwanda because Rwanda was accused of coming into Uganda and kidnapping refugees. One of the 36 is a registered refugee in Kenya. There was no extradition order; they had gone to attend a leadership training,” Semujju said.

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa intervened, asking the Leader of Government Business to clarify the situation.

Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka denied the allegations of abduction and torture, stating, “What I know is that these people were charged, they are before the court, and if there are any issues of them being beaten or wrongly arrested, they can be raised in court at the appropriate time. We have laws that deal with that. In fact, if a person was tortured at the time of his arrest, that case will be dismissed. That is a good defense you can put before the courts.”

Semujju responded angrily, comparing the situation to the arrests during the Idi Amin regime and questioning the legality of the operation in Kenya.

“I have not complained that they were charged. I am talking about bilateral matters that you can walk into Kenya and kidnap Ugandans like under Amin…. Under which arrangement did you go to a Catholic church in Kenya and kidnap and bring them without necessary documents?” he pressed.

Kiwanuka retorted, “If you think the process was not done properly, then you could be a good witness to support their release.”

FDC’s founding President Col. (rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye also condemned the arrest, calling the charges “flimsy.”

“The charge is just an extension of the physical torture they’ve endured so far. I have, previously, been charged with the same offense of terrorism in military and civil court simultaneously; I’ve been charged with treason twice; rape once; illegal possession of guns; and countless times with incitement to violence, illegal assembly, etc., all without any iota of evidence! Total abuse of the judicial system!” Besigye stated on July 29, 2024, on X, formerly Twitter.

editorial@examiner.co.ug