Uganda’s Information Minister, Chris Baryomunsi, has confirmed that Ugandan authorities collaborated with their Kenyan counterparts in the abduction of opposition leader Kizza Besigye from Nairobi.
Speaking to a Ugandan media outlet, Baryomunsi emphasised that such an operation could not have occurred without Kenya’s knowledge.
The Government of Uganda was in touch with the Government of Kenya in the arrest of Kizza Besigye. How would you arrest somebody in the middle of Nairobi and then bring him back to Uganda without the full knowledge and support of the state there in Kenya?
Kenya denies involvement
However, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing’oei, refuted any claims of the Kenyan government’s involvement.
Sing’oei argued that Besigye’s travel to Kenya was neither officially communicated nor facilitated by the authorities, leaving them unaware of his presence.
We did not know Kizza Besigye was in Kenya to offer him additional security. There are protocols that relate to the travel of senior politicians and leaders. They inform us and seek facilitation, and we even give them security
He further clarified that Kenyan security agencies were not involved in the abduction.
The circumstances surrounding his travel to Kenya were not known to us. The abduction is not the act of Kenyan security officers.
U.S. government calls for transparency
The abduction has drawn international attention, with the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs urging clarity and transparency in handling the matter.
We are closely following reports on the abduction and transnational rendition of civilian political figures Kizza Besigye and Obeid Lutale from Kenya to Uganda. It is important that the circumstances be clarified with transparency and full legal protections
Besigye faces charges in Uganda
Upon his return to Uganda, Besigye was presented before the Makindye military court in Kampala, where he denied charges of illegal possession of firearms and negotiating to buy arms abroad.
These charges include allegations of being found with two pistols and ammunition in a Nairobi hotel and negotiating arms deals in Geneva, Athens, and Nairobi.
This incident raises serious questions about cross-border political operations and the role of state actors in upholding human rights and international protocols.