Ugandan opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye has been reported missing, with claims that he was abducted while attending the launch of NARC-Kenya party leader Martha Karua's book in Nairobi.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, has raised concerns among his family and supporters, who are now demanding answers from Ugandan authorities.
Besigye's last known whereabouts
According to Daily Monitor, a Ugandan publication, Dr Besigye was last seen at an apartment on Riverside Drive in Nairobi’s Westlands estate, where he had attended a meeting with unidentified individuals.
Dr Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, has called for his immediate release, alleging that he is being unlawfully held in a military jail in Kampala.
Wife alleges military detention
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Byanyima expressed her anguish and accused the Ugandan government of orchestrating his abduction.
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?
Besigye’s political journey
Dr Kizza Besigye is a prominent figure in Ugandan politics, known for his opposition to President Yoweri Museveni’s regime. Initially an ally of Museveni, Besigye turned into one of his fiercest critics after accusing the government of deviating from democratic principles in 1999.
Initially an ally of Museveni, Besigye turned into one of his fiercest critics after accusing the government of deviating from democratic principles in 1999.
Besigye has run for the presidency multiple times, including in 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016, consistently alleging electoral malpractice in favour of Museveni.
His political activism has subjected him to repeated arrests, accusations ranging from treason to inciting violence, and significant personal risk.
Before his political activism, Besigye studied medicine at Makerere University in Kampala and later served as a physician. He joined the National Resistance Army (NRA) in the early 1980s, fighting alongside Museveni in a guerrilla war against Milton Obote’s regime.
Following the NRA’s victory in 1986, Besigye served as a senior military officer and Museveni’s personal physician before their eventual fallout.