Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye is being held in a Ugandan military jail after his reported abduction from Nairobi, Kenya, over the weekend, his wife, Winnie Byanyima, has announced, Bloomberg reports.
Byanyima, the executive director of UNAIDS, took two X (formerly Twitter) to express her outrage.
“He was kidnapped last Saturday while he was in Nairobi. We, his family and his lawyers demand to see him. He is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail?”Byanyima wrote.
Video footage aired by Ugandan media showed Besigye arriving at a military courthouse on Thursday, seemingly in good spirits, surrounded by military police and waving to supporters. This apparent display of good health contradicts claims of abduction and raises questions about the circumstances surrounding his transfer to Uganda.
However, the Kenyan government denies any involvement in Besigye’s detention. Isaac Mwaura, a spokesperson for the Kenyan government, stated that they were unaware of any abduction or arrest. Similarly, Uganda’s Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi, speaking on UBC TV, rejected accusations of unlawful detention. He asserted that Uganda’s government does not engage in long-term incommunicado arrests and that cross-border arrests are permissible under international treaties. “You can be arrested from anywhere because countries have treaties that allow for extradition,” Baryomunsi stated. “Being arrested from Kenya would not be a problem.”
Besigye, a long-time critic of President Yoweri Museveni, has a history of clashes with authorities. He has unsuccessfully challenged Museveni in four presidential elections and alleges past instances of torture and abuse while in custody, including being shot and pepper-sprayed during protests.
Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, has overseen the country for over three decades following a five-year guerrilla war.
