The High Court has directed the Attorney General (AG) to file responses within 14 days in a case filed by Ugandan opposition leader Col (Rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye challenging his deportation from Kenya.
The matter came up for compliance on Monday, with State counsel Marwa appearing on behalf of the AG. He admitted that no responses had been filed despite service, explaining that the respondents were spread across different offices and that efforts to coordinate a joint response had gone unanswered.
However, senior counsel Martha Karua, who is representing Besigye, strongly opposed the request for additional time. She pointed out that the respondents had been served on July 28 but had failed to enter appearance by September 29, nearly two months later.
“If you are inclined to grant them time, the State office must be cautioned. How do they take two months without responding?” Karua told the court.
She emphasized that the case carried cross-border significance, noting that colleagues from Uganda had traveled to Kenya to follow proceedings. According to her, the matter not only affects Besigye’s political struggles at home but also raises broader concerns about regional security and the treatment of opposition figures in East Africa.
Justice Lawrence Mugambi ruled that the State had already been accorded adequate time to prepare. He declined to grant the 21 days requested by the AG’s office and instead gave them 14 days to file their responses.
The case, filed by Besigye and his aide Obed Lutale, has attracted regional attention due to its political undertones. Besigye, a long-standing critic of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, alleges that his deportation from Kenya in 2024 was unlawful and politically motivated.
The hearing is expected to set a precedent on how cross-border deportations involving opposition leaders are handled within the East African region.
