Kenya has firmly denied any involvement in the alleged abduction of Ugandan opposition leader, Dr. Kizza Besigye, after his disappearance in Nairobi last Saturday. The case has raised significant concerns, particularly over the possible role of Kenyan authorities in the operation, which Besigye’s family claims was an abduction orchestrated by Ugandan security forces.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, Sing’oei Korir, dismissed claims that Kenya had any hand in Besigye’s arrest, calling such accusations “preposterous.” Korir emphasized that Kenya had no reason to be involved in the situation, and there was no evidence to support such claims. Speaking to The Star, Korir said, “There is no reason whatsoever for Kenya to be a party in his arrest, if any,” and unequivocally denied the accusations.
Besigye, who has been a prominent figure in Ugandan opposition politics for over two decades, has contested four presidential elections against Uganda’s long-serving President Yoweri Museveni, losing each time while rejecting the results. His recent disappearance has added another chapter to his troubled relationship with the Ugandan government, which has often been accused of using heavy-handed tactics against political opponents.
According to Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, the opposition leader was abducted on Saturday, November 16, while in Nairobi attending the book launch of Kenyan politician Martha Karua. Byanyima, who is the executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), made a public statement on social media where she called for Besigye’s immediate release.
“I request the government of Uganda to release my husband Dr. Kizza Besigye from where he is being held immediately. He was kidnapped last Saturday while he was in Nairobi for Hon Martha Karua’s book launch,” Byanyima wrote on her X handle. She further stated that her husband was now being held in a military detention facility in Kampala, a claim that has sparked further alarm among his supporters. Byanyima questioned the rationale behind his detention in a military jail, stating, “He is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail?”
Following Besigye’s disappearance, his family traced him to a military detention center in Kampala, but efforts to locate and communicate with him have been obstructed. Besigye’s lawyers and family are demanding to see him, questioning the legality and transparency of his detention.
This incident comes on the heels of a similar situation earlier this year, when 36 Ugandan political activists were arrested in Kisumu, Kenya. These individuals, who were reportedly attending a workshop, were abducted by Ugandan security forces and transported back to Uganda. They were charged with treason and remanded to Kitalya Prison. These activists, after being recently released on bail, have denied the charges and maintain that they were falsely detained.
Human rights organizations, including Uganda’s opposition groups and international watchdogs, have expressed deep concerns about these continuing abductions and the broader crackdown on political dissent in Uganda. The country’s political climate has been marked by growing repression, with opposition leaders and activists facing increasing risks of arrest, detention, and intimidation.
Besigye’s case has become a symbol of the ongoing political repression under President Museveni, who has been in power for nearly 40 years. His government has faced increasing criticism both domestically and internationally for its heavy-handed tactics against political opponents and civil society organizations.
In response to the allegations of abduction, Kenyan authorities have reiterated their stance of non-involvement, but the incident has brought attention to the tense political climate in both Uganda and Kenya. While Kenya maintains that it had no role in the disappearance of Besigye, the international community continues to scrutinize both nations’ human rights practices, particularly in relation to political freedoms and the treatment of opposition figures.
As Besigye remains in military detention in Uganda, his supporters and family members are calling for his release, while also pressing for accountability for those responsible for his abduction. The unfolding situation underscores the challenges facing opposition movements in East Africa, where political dissent continues to be met with repression.
