Besigye was abducted by eight men and smuggled back to Uganda at night, wife says

Uganda's veteran opposition figure Kizza Besigye (C) reacts as supporters and media watch him being escorted by military police out of the Makindye Martial Court in Kampala, on November 20, 2024. [AFP]

Winnie Byanyima, wife of Ugandan Opposition leader Kizza Besigye, has provided new details about the events leading up to her husband's abduction in Nairobi.

 Besigye was taken on Saturday, November 16, after arriving in Nairobi to attend a book launch by NARC Kenya leader Martha Karua.

Byanyima said Besigye was invited to a meeting at Riverside, Westlands, by a British national he knew, who claimed to have investors interested in supporting political activities in Africa.

The situation took a dark turn when Besigye entered the meeting room with his colleague.

After introductions to two men—one known to Besigye and the other not—a knock on the door was heard.

“It was announced that the police had arrived,” said Byanyima.

“But it wasn’t the police—it was eight men in plain clothes. They simply said, ‘You are under arrest.’”

Byanyima explained that Besigye was taken without warning, leaving behind the British man and another carrying a box of money, though Besigye was unsure whether it contained money.

ALSO READ: Uganda opposition figure Besigye appears in military court

Besigye and his colleague were driven through the night toward the Ugandan border.

 Near Nakuru, the men accidentally spoke in a local language, revealing their Ugandan identity.

Besigye, realising the situation, remarked, “You should have told us, we speak the same language.”

They crossed into Uganda, where Besigye was detained in a military jail, unable to walk upon arrival in Kampala.

The abduction sparked international outrage.

Byanyima, also the executive director of UNAIDS, has demanded answers from the Ugandan government, questioning why Besigye was held in a military jail instead of a civilian one.

“He is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail?” Byanyima said.

Byanyima spoke during an interview on Citizen TV on November 27.

The incident has raised concerns about cross-border political repression, with figures like Karua calling for an end to illegal renditions.