Prominent Ugandan opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, was reportedly kidnapped during a book launch event in Kenya over the weekend, transferred to Uganda, and is currently being held in a military prison in Kampala, according to his wife, Winnie Byanyima.
Besigye, who has run for president four times against President Yoweri Museveni, has long been a vocal critic of the government and has faced repeated arrests and detentions. He has consistently alleged that elections in Uganda have been marred by fraud, voter intimidation, and political violence.
Byanyima, who is the executive director of UNAIDS, publicly demanded her husband’s immediate release from detention, insisting that he be allowed access to legal counsel and family members.
She questioned the legality of Besigye’s detention in a military facility, stating that as a civilian and not a soldier, he should not be held in such a setting.
“We demand to see him; he is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail?” Byanyima wrote on social media, confirming her husband’s abduction and expressing grave concerns for his safety.
According to Byanyima’s statements, Besigye was abducted on Saturday during the launch of a book by veteran Kenyan opposition politician Martha Karua, an event attended by key political figures in Kenya.
She mentioned that she had been reliably informed that her husband was taken to a military jail in Kampala, raising suspicions about the nature of his detention.
The Ugandan authorities, including the military and police, have yet to provide any official statements about Besigye’s alleged kidnapping or his whereabouts.
Ugandan police spokesman, Kituuma Rusoke, denied knowing anything about Besigye’s detention, stating, “As police, we don’t have him, so we can’t make any comment.” Similarly, the spokesperson for Kenya’s national police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Besigye, a former physician to Museveni during Uganda’s guerrilla war, has become one of the most prominent and outspoken critics of Museveni’s regime.
In July 2024, Kenyan authorities had already detained 36 members of Besigye’s opposition party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), and deported them to Uganda, where they were charged with terrorism-related offenses.
Besigye himself has faced multiple arrests, alleged torture, and politically motivated imprisonments in the past, with the government accused of suppressing opposition figures through heavy-handed tactics.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the Ugandan government for its treatment of opposition leaders, citing illegal detentions, torture, and extra-judicial killings.
Despite these allegations, officials from the government deny these accusations, asserting that those detained are processed legally and appropriately by the court system.
Besigye’s abduction and continued detention have drawn international attention, with calls from both human rights advocates and the international community for his immediate release.
As one of Uganda’s most recognized opposition figures, Besigye’s treatment is seen as a reflection of the broader challenges faced by political opponents under President Museveni’s long-standing rule.
Byanyima and Besigye’s family have called on both the Ugandan and Kenyan governments to investigate the circumstances surrounding the abduction, ensure Besigye’s safety, and respect his legal rights.
The international community, including the United Nations, has also been urged to intervene to prevent further political repression in Uganda.
