Ugandan Opposition Leader Kizza Besigye Kidnapped in Kenya, Transferred to Military Jail

Kampala, Uganda – Kizza Besigye, the prominent Ugandan opposition leader, was reportedly kidnapped during a book launch in Kenya over the weekend and has since been transferred to a military prison in Kampala, according to his wife, Winnie Byanyima.

Byanyima, who serves as the executive director of UNAIDS, took to social media on Wednesday, demanding her husband’s immediate release. She expressed concerns over his detention, emphasising that he is not a soldier and questioning why he was held in a military facility. Byanyima also called for family and legal representatives to be allowed to visit him.

I request the govt 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. I am now reliably informed that he is in a military jail in Kampala.
We his…

— Winnie Byanyima (@Winnie_Byanyima) November 19, 2024

Besigye’s lawyer confirmed the detention, stating that the opposition leader is expected to appear before a military court later Wednesday for an initial hearing. Supporters and party officials gathered at the Makindye military barracks anticipating his court appearance.

Besigye, a physician who has run against President Yoweri Museveni in four presidential elections since 1986, has consistently rejected the results, citing fraud and voter intimidation allegations. He has been a vocal critic of Museveni’s long-standing rule and has faced numerous arrests and legal challenges.

The Ugandan government has repeatedly been accused of human rights violations against opposition figures, which it has denied. Besigye, who served as Museveni’s doctor during the president’s time as a rebel leader, has long been a symbol of resistance to the president’s authoritarian regime.