Karua: ‘Unholy alliance’ to blame for rise in abductions and killings

Read: Martha Karua seeks to lead Besigye's legal team in Kampala 

The duo was abducted in Kenya on November 16 ahead of the launch of Ms Karua’s book, Against the Tide, and driven to Uganda where they are facing charges in the military court.

“That sort of conduct violates the Kenyan Constitution, the Ugandan Constitution, the East Africa Treaty, the rule of law principle, and all the international human rights laws. If Uganda had anything on Dr Besigye and his colleague, Mr Lutale, they should have started extradition proceedings,” Ms Karua told Nation.Africa.

She pointed out that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has not annexed Kenya and that his military or security agents cannot operate on Kenyan soil at will.

“It is an unholy alliance he is having with the Ruto regime and you recall when Boniface Mwangi was abducted, we said we had reliable information that the abduction squad in Kenya had outsiders, who included Ugandans, Burundians, Congolese (Democratic Republic of Congo), and God knows what other jurisdictions. This just proves us right,” she said.

Ms Karua had claimed that “credible sources indicate the abduction squads consisting of officers from the army and the police mainly from one ethnic group with foreigners possibly drawn from Burundi, Uganda and Congo are part of the squads” operating in Kenya.

Kenyan authorities have previously denied the existence of such a squad.

In her interview with Nation.Africa on Friday, the Narc Kenya leader argued that the delay to allow her to practice in Uganda in Dr Besigye’s case is against the EAC federation, which calls for regional cooperation, economic integration, and political unification.

“It is regrettable that since I applied for the certificate, I am yet to receive it, especially at a time when we are saying that we are moving towards a federation yet we have not aligned our laws with the East Africa Treaty,” she said.

The Narc Kenya leader added: “It's about movement of goods and labour, it's about people coming together. How can lawyers within the federation, or within the EAC, not be able to practice without double licensing?”

Ms Karua pointed out that despite making her application in accordance with Ugandan law for a special licence to practice just for the purpose of Dr Besigye and Mr Lutale’s case, with an application received and stamped last month on November 27, she is yet to receive her licence.

“I visited their offices on arrival in Kampala. I have followed with telephone calls, I have called the chairperson of the law council three times, and every time she says they are processing. Why is it so difficult? All I needed is to show I have a valid practicing certificate in Kenya and I also included that I have the rank of senior council,” she said.

Read: Besigye case: Karua and other lawyers locked out of courtroom, says Byanyima

She said she had a letter from the Law Society of Kenya confirming that she was indeed qualified for a special licence to practice in Uganda and wondered why it was so difficult to get permission. “I am a citizen of the Jumuia (East African Community) — and what about the right of Besigye to lawyers of his choice? He has chosen that I lead his team in Kampala,” Ms Karua said.

She explained that when she went for the hearing of Dr Besigye case last week, she was only in court as “an observer” and was introduced to the court but did not have right of audience, so her Ugandan colleagues addressed the court.

“I'm still going back to Kampala on the December 10^th (Tuesday) when we appear again before the military court to resume on Besigye case, whether or not I have audience, I'll be there to stand in solidarity with him,” she said. 

Ms Karua explained that she and other opposition politicians — including leaders from ACT Wazalendo and Chadema in Tanzania — are members of the Pan-African Opposition Leaders Solidarity Network.

She pointed out that the current trend in the EAC region, where foreign security personnel are aided by locals in operations to abduct citizens, is against the international laws.

“Kenyan security agencies cannot cooperate with Ugandans unless that cooperation is at the highest level. So, President Ruto and President Museveni have something to answer about the illegal abductions,” she said.

Ms Karua added that the abduction of people who are later released without charge continues in Kenya.

“We are seeing an era in East Africa where leaders are cooperating, not for the benefit of the people, but in violation of the people's rights,” she said.

Ms Karua gave the example of Tanzania where there is a rise in the abduction of opposition leaders, with one, who was taken from a bus “by people who obviously looked like security agents”, found dead.

She said it was sinister that as Uganda also heads for the elections in 2026, attacks on opposition leaders were on the rise.

“Why is this happening and what is this unholy alliance? My observation is that William Ruto is now an apprentice of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in tactics of repression and violation of the Constitution,” she said, adding that Kenyans must rise to stop the situation from getting worse.

Ms Karua faulted the government over claims that it would only protect refugees and not dissidents.

“Who is a dissident? Is a dissident a person declared to be a dissident by the administrations in the two countries? Who is a dissident? Is opposing Museveni or Ruto, or Suluhu for that matter, make you a dissident? Don't our constitutions provide for divergent opinion? Can't we express our opinion?” she said.  

Ms Karua argued that these East African leaders must know that they are human beings and they are subject to their constitutions. 

“We are not going to be cowed, and we will keep pushing back until our rights are respected,” she said.

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