Kenya’s Martha Karua joins Ugandan opposition leaders in court solidarity for Besigye
KAMPALA – Kenyan Senior Counsel Martha Karua today joined Ugandan opposition leaders and lawyers at the High Court in Kampala, where proceedings involving veteran opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye are set to be heard.
Karua, a former Kenyan justice minister and prominent lawyer, stood alongside Ugandan political and legal figures, including counsel Erias Lukwago, MPs Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda and Francis Mwijukye, as well as Ambassador Wasswa Biriggwa, in a symbolic show of solidarity.
By 10:30 am, journalists and supporters of Besigye’s People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) gathered outside the court premises, while security and court officials tightly managed access to the courtroom. The tense anticipation underscored the high stakes surrounding the case.
Besigye, a retired colonel and four-time presidential challenger, has long been a central figure in Uganda’s pro-democracy struggle. His legal woes date back to November 2024, when he and associate Obeid Lutale were controversially arrested in Nairobi during Karua’s book launch. The pair were extradited to Uganda and charged before a military court.
However, a Supreme Court ruling on January 30, 2025, stripped military courts of the power to try civilians. Despite that decision, Besigye and Lutale were re-arrested and charged afresh with treason and misprison of treason, sparking outrage among rights advocates.
Today’s attendance of Karua and high-profile Ugandan opposition leaders has been widely interpreted as a message of cross-border solidarity and renewed momentum for Besigye’s cause.
Political observers note that the case carries not only legal weight but also significant political implications for Uganda’s opposition movement and the wider struggle for democratic accountability in the region.
