The state has preferred terrorism charges against 36 members of FDC Katonga faction who were arrested from Kenya last week.
The 36 were apprehended in Kenya and were last week repatriated to Uganda from where they were detained.
On Monday, the group was arraigned before the Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court and charges of terrorism contrary to section 6(1) (b) of the Anti Terrorism Act read against them.
“The group and others still at large, between July, 22 and 23 travelled from various places in Uganda to Kisumu in Kenya for the purposes of providing or receiving terrorist training,” the court read the charges.
They however denied the charges and were remanded to Luzira until August 13.
An official from the External Security Organisation(ESO) told journalists last week that the group had no contact person in Kenya where they said they had gone for a workshop.
This according to the official, raised suspicion from the Kenyan government alerting their Ugandan counterparts leading to the arrest.
Over the weekend, Dr.Kizza Besigye said the group colleagues travelled to Kisumu for a week-long leadership workshop and had been dully cleared by Uganda immigration and security.
“A few hours later (during the night), their residences at Ukweri Catholic Pastoral Centre, Kisumu, were violently attacked, doors broken, and all brutally arrested. This was by a combination of Uganda Security officers and Kenyan Military! Their properties were confiscated, including computers and phones. They were tortured and several injured during and after arrest,” Besigye said.
He noted they were driven that night back to Uganda-“ this time, without going thru Kenyan or Ugandan Immigration.” And that they were detained in “Safe Houses” of Uganda’s External Security Organisation (ESO) until they were brought to Kololo grounds to be paraded before media as having been handed over by Kenyan government for engaging in suspicious circumstances.
“They were lawfully invited into Kenya and entered Kenya lawfully. The place where they were to hold their workshop was lawfully engaged. They were illegally arrested and illegally deported apart from the torture and other human rights violations done by government forces of both Uganda and Kenya. “
He asked Kenyan institutions to investigate the matter with a view of redressing the situation.
