Dr. Kizza Besigye, Ugandan opposition politician and former presidential candidate for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), was abducted in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 16, 2024.
Ever since his abduction, concerns over political repression and human rights violations in East Africa have escalated. Besigye, a long-time critic of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, was secretly transferred to Uganda and resurfaced on November 20, when he was arraigned before a military court in Kampala.
Dr. Besigye’s sudden disappearance from Kenya was met with widespread condemnation, particularly due to the apparent coordination between Kenyan and Ugandan authorities in his capture. His arrest exposed Kenya’s failure to uphold regional human rights obligations and raised serious concerns about the security of political dissidents within the East African region. The incident violated international extradition laws, which require due process and judicial oversight before transferring individuals across borders.
Upon his first public appearance in Uganda, Besigye was charged, alongside FDC member Haji Obeid Lutale, with offenses allegedly related to national security and the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. His case was initially heard by a military court, a move widely seen as an attempt to intimidate and criminalize political opposition in Uganda.
A long history of persecution
Dr. Kizza Besigye has contested several presidential elections against President Museveni, who has remained in power since 1986. The two men share a complicated history—Besigye once served as Museveni’s personal physician during Uganda’s civil war but later became one of his fiercest critics. Since challenging Museveni’s rule, Besigye has been repeatedly arrested, detained, and harassed by state security forces. His political career has been marked by systematic persecution, with multiple charges levied against him over the years, including treason, incitement of violence, and unlawful assembly.
Following his detention, Dr. Besigye embarked on a hunger strike to protest his incarceration without a remand warrant, arguing that his detention by the military court was illegal. His strike lasted for eight days, during which his health deteriorated significantly. His condition worsened to the extent that he had to be wheeled into court, unable to support himself.
Pressure from local and international human rights groups eventually led to his transfer from the military court to a civilian court. On Friday, February 21, 2025, he appeared before the Nakawa Magistrate Court, where he was charged with treason and misprision of treason—offenses that carry severe penalties in Uganda. He has since been remanded in Luzira Upper Prison until March 7, 2025, when the charges will be read again.
Despite the change in jurisdiction, concerns remain over his continued detention and health status. Reports indicate that since the weekend, no one has been granted access to check on his condition.
Dr. Besigye’s abduction and subsequent trial have sparked outrage both in Uganda and internationally. Speaking on the matter, political activist and human rights defender Habib Buwembo called upon global human rights organizations to intervene, pointing to the need to protect political prisoners in Uganda.
He told Peoples Dispatch: “The Kenyan government must also be held accountable for violating extradition laws by aiding Dr. Besigye’s captors. Kenya must be a safe place for all, especially within the East African region.” Buwembo’s sentiments reflect growing concerns among activists and opposition leaders that political exiles are no longer secure in Kenya, a country traditionally seen as a refuge for those fleeing persecution in neighboring states.
The broader implications
Dr. Besigye’s ordeal is part of a broader pattern of state repression in Uganda, where opposition voices have been systematically silenced through legal and extrajudicial means. The use of military courts to prosecute civilians has been widely criticized as an unconstitutional tactic designed to intimidate government critics. Uganda’s Supreme Court recently ruled against the trial of civilians in military courts, making Besigye’s initial arraignment a blatant violation of legal precedent.
With his next court hearing set for March 7, 2025, Dr. Besigye’s fate remains uncertain. If convicted of treason, he could face life imprisonment, further cementing Uganda’s reputation as a state intolerant of political opposition. His detention also raises fears of increased political repression ahead of Uganda’s next election cycle. Nevertheless, one thing remains clear—his fight for democracy and justice is far from over.
