Prominent Ugandan opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye has reportedly been "kidnapped" in Kenya and is currently being held in a military prison in Kampala, according to his wife, Winnie Byanyima, who also serves as the head of UNAIDS.
Byanyima took to X on Tuesday, demanding the immediate release of her husband. "Release my husband, Dr. Kizza Besigye, from where he is being held immediately," she urged the Ugandan government.
Besigye, a long-time critic of President Yoweri Museveni, was allegedly abducted last Saturday in Nairobi, where he had traveled to attend a book launch by Kenyan opposition figure Martha Karua. Media reports in Uganda had already raised concerns about his disappearance, sparking outrage and condemnation.
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Byanyima claims her 68-year-old husband is being held in a Kampala military facility. "He is not a soldier; why is he being held in a military jail?" she questioned, adding that the family and lawyers are demanding access to him.
The incident comes amid an intensifying crackdown on opposition figures in Uganda. In July, 36 members of Besigye's Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party were deported from Kenya and charged with terrorism in Uganda. They were later released on bail. Besigye denounced the arrests as illegal, accusing the regime of operating as a "junta."
Once a close ally of President Museveni, Besigye served as his personal physician during the bush war that brought Museveni to power in 1986. However, the two fell out in 2001 when Besigye launched a presidential campaign against Museveni and subsequently founded the FDC. Since then, Besigye has faced numerous arrests, allegations of treason, and persistent harassment.
The alleged kidnapping raises further concerns about Kenya's involvement in forced renditions. Human rights groups have criticized Nairobi for reportedly facilitating similar abductions. Just last month, four Turkish refugees were forcibly repatriated to Turkey in what rights advocates called a violation of international law.
The incident adds to the growing tension surrounding Uganda’s handling of political dissent and Kenya's role in such controversial actions.
