NAIROBI, Kenya – The Kenyan government has dismissed allegations of involvement in the reported abduction of Ugandan opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye, who is said to have been kidnapped in Nairobi and transferred to Uganda.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Sing’oei Korir categorically denied any Kenyan role in the incident, describing the suggestion as “preposterous.”
Responding to media inquiries, Korir stated, “Absolutely not! There is no reason whatsoever for Kenya to be a party in his arrest, if any.”
Besigye, a longtime rival of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, has contested four presidential elections and rejected the results in each case.
His wife, Winnie Byanyima, who is also the Executive Director of UNAIDS, alleged on Wednesday that Besigye was abducted last Saturday from an apartment complex in Nairobi’s Riverside area.
Byanyima claimed her husband was taken to Uganda and is now being detained in a military facility in Kampala.
“I request the government of Uganda to release my husband, Dr. Kizza Besigye, immediately. He is not a soldier, so why is he being held in a military jail?” she posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
The disappearance has sparked international concern, particularly given its timing.
Besigye was in Nairobi for the launch of Kenyan opposition leader Martha Karua’s book when the alleged abduction occurred.
Reports of Besigye’s detention in a Ugandan military facility recall a previous incident in July when 36 Ugandan activists associated with him were arrested in Kisumu, Kenya.
The activists were reportedly transported to Uganda, charged with treason, and detained in Kitalya Prison.
They were later released on bail and denied the charges, claiming they were attending a workshop when apprehended.
Byanyima and Besigye’s family have demanded immediate access to him, calling for transparency and accountability in his detention.
The Ugandan government has yet to issue a statement on the allegations.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Sing’oei Korir categorically denied any Kenyan role in the incident, describing the suggestion as “preposterous.”
Responding to media inquiries, Korir stated, “Absolutely not! There is no reason whatsoever for Kenya to be a party in his arrest, if any.”
Besigye, a longtime rival of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, has contested four presidential elections and rejected the results in each case.
His wife, Winnie Byanyima, who is also the Executive Director of UNAIDS, alleged on Wednesday that Besigye was abducted last Saturday from an apartment complex in Nairobi’s Riverside area.
Byanyima claimed her husband was taken to Uganda and is now being detained in a military facility in Kampala.
“I request the government of Uganda to release my husband, Dr. Kizza Besigye, immediately. He is not a soldier, so why is he being held in a military jail?” she posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
The disappearance has sparked international concern, particularly given its timing.
Besigye was in Nairobi for the launch of Kenyan opposition leader Martha Karua’s book when the alleged abduction occurred.
Reports of Besigye’s detention in a Ugandan military facility recall a previous incident in July when 36 Ugandan activists associated with him were arrested in Kisumu, Kenya.
The activists were reportedly transported to Uganda, charged with treason, and detained in Kitalya Prison.
They were later released on bail and denied the charges, claiming they were attending a workshop when apprehended.
Byanyima and Besigye’s family have demanded immediate access to him, calling for transparency and accountability in his detention.
The Ugandan government has yet to issue a statement on the allegations.
