FDC officials charged with criminal trespass, released on bail

FDC Deputy Secretary General (In-charge of Administration) Harold Kaija and Mr Moses Owori, the legal affairs secretary in FDC Youth league were bundled onto a police waiting pick-up truck and detained at Jinja Road Police

What you need to know:

  • Opposition Forum for Democratic Change, on Friday accused government of colluding with DRC of trading prisoners for “selfish political reasons”.
  • A total of 38 Ugandans are languishing in military detention in DR Congo, with some having spent as many as five years in jail.
  • In December 2015, Mugumya said he was arrested while fleeing to exile.

Two members of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party who were earlier arrested at the Democratic Republic of Congo embassy in Kampala have been charged with criminal trespass.
FDC Deputy Secretary General (In-charge of Administration) Harold Kaija and Mr Moses Owori, the legal affairs secretary in FDC Youth league were on Tuesday arrested following an attempt to petition the DRC ambassador in Uganda over the continued detention without trial of activist Sam Mugumya and four other party members.

The duo was charged before the Nakawa Magistrates’ Court and released on a non-cash bail of Shs1 million each.

Before the arrest, a delegation of five FDC officials led by Buhweju County MP, Mr Francis Mwijukye, arrived at the embassy shortly after 10am and engaged the embassy staff who declined to let them in. They insisted they wanted to handover their petition to the DRC’s ambassador to Uganda. “This is an embassy within our country and we hope we shall be helped to see the ambassador,” Mr Mwijukye said.
FDC activist and lawyer Mr Moses Byamugisha said there are preparations to charge Mr Mugumya and others in a court martial on rebel-related activities yet they were initially arrested on charges of illegal entry into DRC.

FDC deputy secretary general (in charge of administration), Harold Kaija (right) and other party officials at the DRC embassy in Kampala on Tuesday. Photo by Stephen Kafeero


He said they wanted to interact with the ambassador on the issue and also have him receive their petition. However, the ambassador’s emissaries through the police advised the petitioners to petition the Foreign Affairs ministry. The FDC officials maintained they wanted the communication to come from a Congolese embassy official and not the police.

When the divisional police commander Jinja Road, Mr Moses Eliau Osega arrived, he ordered the officials to immediately leave.
“I am ordering you to leave now, failure to do so will lead to your immediate arrest,” Mr Osega said.
When they attempted to explain to him, he immediately ordered for their arrest.
Mr Kaija and Mr Owori were bundled onto a police waiting pick-up truck and detained at Jinja Road Police before they were later taken to court.

This is the second time police has thwarted attempts by Opposition to petition the Congolese government over the continued detention without trial of Mr Mugumya and others.
Shortly after Mr Mugumya arrest, activists attempted to petition the DRC embassy but were prevented by police which deployed on the roads leading to the embassy premises.
Last Friday, FDC accused government of trading prisoners including Mr Mugumya for “selfish political reasons” accusations government dismissed as baseless.