Uganda/Kizza Besigye allegedly detained in Ugandan Military Jail, wife demands release

Winnie Byanyima, wife of prominent Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, claims her husband has been abducted and is now detained in a military prison in Kampala.

In a statement on X, Byanyima revealed that Besigye, 68, was apprehended in Nairobi, Kenya, last Saturday during a book launch event. “I am reliably informed that he is in a military jail in Kampala,” she wrote, urging Ugandan authorities to release him immediately.

Besigye, a vocal critic of President Yoweri Museveni, has contested four presidential elections under the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, which he formerly led.

Accusing Museveni of authoritarianism and election rigging—a claim denied by the government—he has faced repeated arrests and allegations of inciting violence.

Byanyima, a human rights advocate and UNAIDS executive director, questioned the basis of his detention. “He is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail?” she asked, emphasizing the family’s demand to see him.

Besigye, once Museveni’s personal doctor, has often described the Ugandan leader as a “dictator.” His political activism has seen him injured during confrontations with security forces, including being shot in the hand and sprayed with pepper spray.

The Ugandan government has not yet commented on the claims. Meanwhile, calls for transparency and Besigye’s release are growing, highlighting ongoing tensions between the Museveni administration and opposition leaders.

Source : bbc.com