By Aggrey Baba
Nairobi – Renowned Kenyan opposition leader and human rights advocate Martha Karua has praised exiled Ugandan activist and poet Sam Mugumya for his resilience and artistic defiance against political repression.
Speaking at the launch of Mugumya’s latest poetry collection, We Refuse to Be Victims, on Saturday, Karua described his work as a powerful contribution to Africa’s legacy of resistance.
The event, held in Nairobi and supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, featured Mugumya’s participation via a secure virtual connection due to security concerns. His poetry, penned during his eight-year imprisonment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was hailed as a testament to the indomitable human spirit.
Karua, who also serves as the lead lawyer for Ugandan opposition figures Dr. Kizza Besigye and Haj Obeid Lutale, drew parallels between Mugumya’s writings and Africa’s rich tradition of freedom songs and oral literature. “This is not just a book launch, but a celebration of a legacy,” she remarked. “Mugumya’s words will resonate globally, wherever people fight for dignity and freedom.”
Mugumya’s first manuscript was reportedly confiscated and destroyed during his incarceration, yet he persisted, producing a new body of work that reflects his unyielding commitment to justice. “In the face of despair, Mugumya chose hope,” Karua said. “His poetry kept him alive, focused, and unbroken.”
Karua used the occasion to highlight increasing political oppression in East Africa, pointing to the abductions of activists like Besigye and Lutale, the disappearance of 36 Ugandans from Kisumu, and Kenya’s controversial policy shifts, including the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and changes to student loans.
“These are the injustices we face today,” she declared. “Fear is not an option. Mugumya’s journey, of eight years imprisoned, shuffled between governments proves that surrender is not an option either.”
Karua urged citizens across the region to resist oppression and embrace Mugumya’s unwavering spirit. “Do not let yourself drown in the oppression that surrounds us,” she implored. “Keep yourself afloat, just like Sam Mugumya.”
The veteran politician emphasized that resistance to tyranny should transcend national borders, arguing that the struggle for justice in one country inevitably impacts neighboring nations.
“The movement to liberate ourselves from oppression is not confined to any one country,” she stated. “It is within our neighborhood, the Jumuiya, within our region, and across all nations experiencing the kind of repression now growing in Kenya.”
Referencing past political abductions in Kenya, including the disappearances of Turkish and Ethiopian refugees, Karua insisted that authoritarian tactics in one country embolden similar actions elsewhere. “Oppression in one nation fuels suffering in another,” she warned.
She also urged inclusivity within political movements, noting that those who realize the consequences of their past actions should not be excluded from the struggle for justice. “In the task of liberating our country, can we really afford silos?” she posed.
She also urged young activists to continue demanding accountability, referencing Kenya’s recent Gen Z protests as a beacon of hope. “What we do here in Kenya can encourage others elsewhere,” she said. “Let us not lose this moment.”
Karua reiterated that the fight for democracy must be anchored in shared values, such as those enshrined in Article 10 of Kenya’s Constitution. “The foundation of our movement must be truth, justice, and integrity,” she emphasized. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
