Just days after Kenya denied any involvement in the alleged abduction of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, new details have emerged indicating the government was in the know.
According to Uganda's Information and Communication Technology Minister, Chris Baryomunsi, the government was aware of the operation. Baryomunsi has claimed that such a cross-border operation could not have occurred without Kenya’s knowledge, adding to the already fierce debate about Nairobi's role in the controversial affair.
Speaking to NBS Television on Friday, November 22, Baryomunsi claimed that the seamless abduction of Besigye from Nairobi to Uganda implies cooperation at the highest levels. "How do you arrest someone in Nairobi and then transport them back to Uganda without Kenya’s full knowledge?" his remarks are likely to draw both scrutiny and condemnation.
Besigye, a vocal critic of President Yoweri Museveni, vanished in Nairobi after being dropped off at a residential complex. Days later, he resurfaced in Uganda, facing charges of illegal possession of firearms in a military court. His wife, Winnie Byanyima, dismissed the charges as a fabrication, citing that Besigye hasn’t owned a firearm in two decades.
The saga has placed Kenya under the international spotlight for its handling of foreign dissidents. Martha Karua, who hosted the event Besigye was scheduled to attend, accused Kenyan authorities of facilitating his abduction. "We strongly suspect that Ugandan operatives acted with Kenya’s support," she stated, calling for a thorough investigation into the troubling allegations.
Kenyan authorities, while denying direct involvement, appear mired in contradictions. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir SingOei called the incident an "abduction" and distanced the government from the act.
“From the reports I am gathering, is that Besigye was abducted from an apartment in Nairobi. The reality, though, is that this is not an act of the Kenyan government. It is not an act by our security officials,” SingOei told Citizen TV on Wednesday night.
SingOei further stated that the government was not aware of Besigye’s impending travel to the country. “The circumstances surrounding Besigye’s travel to Kenya were not known to us. No information was shared with us before he traveled,” he stated.
However, Uganda’s government spokesperson insisted that such arrests involve collaboration with the host country, fuelling suspicions of behind-the-scenes dealings.
The United Nations has condemned the incident, with human rights chief Volker Turk demanding Besigye’s release and an end to Uganda's practice of trying civilians in military courts. His calls echo growing regional concerns about cross-border renditions and the erosion of civil liberties in East Africa.
The US has also taken notice, with Senator James Risch questioning Kenya’s role in the affair. “This incident raises serious questions about respect for international norms,” he wrote, urging transparency from both nations.
The case has also revived memories of past renditions in the region. Critics point to July’s deportation of 36 members of Besigye’s political party to Uganda and last month’s forced return of Turkish refugees to Ankara as evidence of Kenya’s troubling track record.
