A segment of Ugandans, including political figures, human rights activists, and family members, continues to call for the unconditional release of Rtd Col. Dr. Warren Kizza Besigye or for him to be presented in court.
The prominent political activist and four-time presidential candidate in Uganda (2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016), Besigye, has been unaccounted for since Saturday, November 16, 2024, while he was in Kenya attending a book launch for former Minister of Justice Martha Karua.
Reports suggest that Besigye was abducted from his hotel room, although the specific hotel has not yet been disclosed.
In a post on X, his wife, Winnie Byanyima, who is also the Executive Director of UNAIDS, stated that she had received credible information indicating that her husband is being held in a military facility in Kampala.
“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 family and his lawyers demand to see him. He is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail?” he wrote.
Besigye, a trained physician, served as the personal doctor to current President Yoweri Museveni from the 1980s until the 1990s before becoming a vocal critic of what he describes as poor governance of President Museveni.
Expected to be produced in Court Martial
The government has yet to release an official statement regarding the current situation, but reports indicate that Besigye may face a Court Martial later this week.
A delegation of lawyers and officials from the People’s Front for Freedom-Katonga, led by interim President Erias Lukwago, is already at the Court Martial in Makindye, awaiting his arrival.
In an interview with a local media outlet, government chief spokesperson Dr. Chris Baryomunsi stated that he was unaware of the latest developments as he was in Soroti on official duties with the President.
But he mentioned that they are in the process of verifying information with various security agencies and Kenyan authorities, as Besigye had disappeared while attending a book launch in Kenya.
He added that if Besigye has indeed been arrested, he will be brought to court and charged appropriately.
Many Ugandans continue to condemn Besigye’s abduction.
This incident follows the kidnapping of 36 individuals associated with Besigye’s Katonga groups in Kisumu, Kenya, where they were attending a workshop.
They were subsequently transported back to Uganda, where they faced treason charges in court and were later remanded to Kitalya prison, eventually being released on bail.
