Winnie Byanyima, the wife of veteran opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye, has called for his immediate release, alleging that he was abducted in Nairobi and is now being held in a military prison in Kampala.
Byanyima, who serves as the Executive Director of UNAIDS, shared her concerns on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday morning, November 20. She wrote:
“I request the Government of Uganda to release my husband, Dr Kizza Besigye, from where he is being held immediately.”
According to Byanyima, Besigye had travelled to Nairobi to attend the book launch of Hon Martha Karua, a prominent Kenyan politician and former Minister for Justice.
“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,” Byanyima stated.
Karua, a former Member of Parliament for Gichugu Constituency and an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, resigned as Minister for Justice in April 2009.
Expressing her outrage, Byanyima questioned the justification for Besigye’s detention in a military facility.
“We, his family and his lawyers, demand to see him. He is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail?” she asked.
Byanyima's remarks have sparked widespread concern, with calls growing for clarity and justice in the matter.