Nairobi — The High Court has ordered the Attorney General to file responses within 14 days in the case in which Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye is challenging his deportation from Kenya.

At a compliance hearing, State counsel Marwa told the court that although the petitioners had effected service, the Attorney General's office had not yet filed any responses.

He explained that the matter involved multiple respondent offices and that efforts to coordinate a joint reply had been frustrated by unanswered letters. Marwa asked the court to grant a 21-day extension to allow the State to finalise and file its papers.

Senior Counsel Martha Karua, representing Besigye, objected sharply to the request. She told the bench that the respondents were served on July 28 but had failed to enter an appearance by September 29 a delay she said was inexcusable.

Karua urged the court to caution the State over what she described as undue complacency in responding to a matter of substantial public interest.

Karua also stressed the cross-border implications of the litigation. She said legal teams had travelled from Uganda because the case directly touches on Besigye's political rights at home and raises broader regional security concerns, underscoring the need for speedy resolution.

Justice Lawrence Mugambi declined the State's plea for 21 days, finding that the Attorney General's office had already been afforded ample time to prepare its response. Instead, the judge gave the AG 14 days to file the required papers.