Human rights lobby groups have announced plans to hold protests in Nairobi on Friday, February, to push for the release of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye and other political detainees in Uganda.
This comes at a time when Besigye's health condition is deteriorating after going on a hunger strike a week ago, according to his allies. In a joint statement, the lobby groups claim that a fresh wave of abductions and forceful arrests of government critics have emerged in Uganda, allegedly sanctioned by President Yoweri Museveni's administration. "As of yesterday, there was a brazen abduction, and overnight there were four abductions, all of them violent, but the one that has made it to the press is that of Fred Nyanzi, who was abducted by gunmen," Lawyer Andrew Karamagi, a member of the group's legal team, said during a press briefing in Nairobi.
Led by Amnesty International, they announced a plan to match the Ugandan Embassy in Nairobi peacefully. Amnesty's regional researcher, Roland Ebole, expressed concerns over deteriorating health condition of Besigye even as he faulted the Ugandan government for promoting what he termed as culmination of years of human rights abuses and disregard to the constitution. "Despite the Supreme Court and legal applications for their release, Ugandan authorities have disregarded our courts and continue to arbitrarily deprive them of their liberty," he said. "We take this opportunity to invite all to join us in a march to the Uganda High Commission in Nairobi and the National Assembly on February 21, to present a petition for justice for Dr.
Kizza Besigye, Hajj Obeid Lutale, Eron Kiiza and others unlawfully detained," said Steve Mbugua, LSK Council Member. "The conviction of lawyer Eron Kizza by General Court Martial for "contempt of court" and sentencing to nine months' imprisonment without a fair trial is brazen targeting of a lawyer in the line of duty," he added. Other rights organisations that joined Amnesty during the media briefing included, among others, Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Vocal Africa, Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)-Kenya, East Africa Law Society and Change Tanzania Movement. Vocal Africa's Hussein Khalid said an abduction in Uganda is an abduction in Kenya and Tanzania, maintaining that they will not relent in pushing for respect to human rights by the regional governments. "Our march on February 21, is to communicate.
