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The wife of prominent Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has alleged that he was abducted during a book launch in Kenya over the weekend and subsequently transferred to a military detention facility in Kampala.
Besigye, a physician and politician, has contested and lost against President Yoweri Museveni in four presidential elections since 1986. He has consistently rejected the outcomes, citing allegations of electoral fraud and voter intimidation.
In a statement posted on X, Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, who serves as the executive director of UNAIDS, demanded his immediate release and insisted that his family and legal representatives be granted access to him. She also questioned the legality of his detention in a military facility, emphasising that he is not a member of the armed forces.
She stated, “I request the govt of Uganda to release my husband Dr Kizza Besigye from where he is being held immediately.
“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?”
One of Besigye’s lawyers confirmed his detention, stating that he was due to appear before a military court later on Wednesday for an initial hearing. Supporters and officials from his party assembled outside Makindye military barracks in Kampala, awaiting his court appearance.
Besigye, who has been arrested numerous times, previously served as Museveni’s doctor during the 1980s when Museveni was a rebel leader. Over the years, he has become an outspoken critic of the president’s rule, frequently clashing with authorities over his opposition to Museveni’s governance.
The Ugandan government, often accused of human rights abuses against opposition figures and their supporters, has consistently denied such allegations.
Frances Ibiefo
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