Uganda charges opposition lawmakers, supporters over protest

KAMPALA: Police arrested 14 Ugandan opposition officials and supporters on Monday as they marched through their capital towards the Kenyan embassy to protest against Nairobi’s decision to detain and deport a group of their colleagues, local media said.

The arrests and last month’s deportations come as both Kenya and neighbouring Uganda have been rocked by anti-government demonstrations by youth and opposition activists - though the streets of Uganda’s capital were otherwise quiet on Monday.

Kenyan authorities on July 23 detained 36 members of Uganda’s opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) who had travelled there for a training course, lawyers for the group said. They were deported to Uganda where they were charged with terrorism-related offences last week - charges they denied, their lawyers added.