- Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua was among the lawyers who defended Kizza Besigye in the Ugandan court on Tuesday, January 7
- This was after the lawyer was given a certificate to work temporarily by the Uganda Law Council; He had previously been denied a license
- Besigye, a veteran Ugandan opposition politician, was kidnapped in Nairobi, Kenya, in late 2024 and charged in Kampala with illegal possession of weapons and ammunition.
Kampala – The movement of the leader of the Narc Kenya party to participate in the defense team of a veteran opposition politician in the country Uganda Kizza Besigye got the light on Tuesday, January 7, after he was given a temporary practice certificate.
Source: Twitter
It said that the Kenyan lawyer's practicing certificate and letter of good standing from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) were not disclosed.
The action resulted protest of LSK and the East African Law Society which vowed to fight for Karua's rights.
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Weeks later, the ULC, after reversing its earlier decision, granted Karua a certificate on Monday, January 6.
He appeared at the Makindye High Military Court on Tuesday, January 7, defending Besigye.
How Karua faced the Ugandan army generals
While being arraigned, Karua assumed the rank of Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF) general who confronted the defense team for improperly referring to the court.
The army generals who were in charge of the military court seemed to be angry with Besigye's lawyers calling the court a court.
“…Anyone who will refer to this court as a court will be disrespecting this court. That is my advice,” said one.
In his style, Karua criticized the army chief for treating the defense lawyers with instructions that seemed to humiliate them.
“Do you advise or give a decision? I have been a judge like you and you advise, you do not give a decision,” he submitted.
Karua also criticized the court's efforts to block the efforts of the defense team to seek justice for the accused.
“We have been facing very difficult situations here and there to the extent that we are very tired and we are not able to represent our clients properly. We have also witnessed in front of your eyes the attack of one of our team members,” he complained.
Besigye and his associate Haji Obeid Lutale were charged with illegal possession of arms and ammunition following their arrest.
This was after they were kidnapped in Nairobi, where they were attending the Karua book fair.
Did Nairobi help in kidnapping, bringing Besigye home?
The Minister of Information and Communications of Uganda Chris Baryomunsi said that the government authorities in Nairobi were fully involved in the arrest of the two people.
Baryomunsi said that Ugandan law enforcement agents could not reach Kenya without the knowledge of the authorities there.
He said the officers were in contact with their Kenyan counterparts throughout Besigye's arrest and transfer to Kampala.
The minister added that the intelligence reports that Ugandan officials had could not allow them to wait for Besigye's return to Kampala.
His disclosure came after Kenya denied involvement in Besigye's arrest.
Secretary General of Foreign Affairs Korir Sing'oei said the Kenyan government has no reason to be a part of the plight faced by the opposition leader in Uganda.
Sing'oei gave an example of Kenya's human rights record, adding that the authorities in Nairobi were not aware of Besigye's presence in the country.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
