Kizza Besigye’s wife alleges the prominent Ugandan opposition leader was abducted during a Kenyan book launch, secretly transferred to Uganda, and unlawfully detained in a Kampala military facility
KAMPALA, UGANDA – Prominent Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has reportedly been abducted in Kenya and transferred to Uganda, where he is allegedly being held in a military jail in Kampala. The claims were made on Wednesday by his wife, Winnie Byanyima, a high-ranking UN official and outspoken advocate for his release.
Besigye, a veteran politician and four-time challenger of President Yoweri Museveni, has a long history of arrests and confrontations with the Ugandan government. According to Byanyima, Besigye was taken on Saturday during the launch of a book by Kenyan opposition politician Martha Karua in Nairobi.
“I request the government of Uganda to release my husband Dr. Kizza Besigye from where he is being held immediately,”
Byanyima demanded in a post on X (formerly Twitter). She also confirmed that their family and legal team are being denied access to him.
Ugandan Authorities Deny Responsibility
When approached for comment, Ugandan police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said,
“As police, we don’t have him, so we can’t make any comment.”
Efforts to reach Uganda’s military spokesperson were unsuccessful, while Kenyan police have yet to respond to inquiries about the alleged abduction.
The incident has sparked fresh concerns over Uganda’s treatment of opposition figures. Museveni’s administration has often been accused of human rights violations, including illegal detentions, torture, and extrajudicial killings. The government consistently denies these allegations, asserting that all detainees are processed lawfully.
A History of Political Persecution
Besigye, once Museveni’s personal physician during the guerrilla war that brought him to power, later became one of the president’s fiercest critics. He has consistently disputed the outcomes of Uganda’s elections, accusing the government of voter intimidation and fraud. His wife questioned why a civilian opposition leader was being held in a military facility.
“He is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail?”
Byanyima asked, calling for immediate transparency from the Ugandan government.
Context of Rising Tensions
This latest development follows Kenya’s controversial deportation of 36 members of Besigye’s Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party in July. The deportees were later charged with terrorism-related offenses in Uganda, further straining relations between opposition groups and state authorities.
International observers and human rights organizations are closely monitoring the situation, calling for due process and respect for political freedoms.
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