How Besigye's meeting with British national in Nairobi sealed his fate - Wife

The wife of Ugandan opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye has recounted harrowing details of his abduction in Nairobi, where he had gone to attend a book launch.

Winnie Byanyima described how her husband was detained under suspicious circumstances and transferred to Uganda, where he is now facing charges in a military court.

Byanyima, while in an interview with Citizen TV, revealed that Besigye was in Nairobi to attend the launch of an autobiography by Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua.

On Sunday, after the event, he was invited by a British national to a meeting in Riverside, Nairobi.

According to her account, this individual claimed to represent investors keen on supporting political parties in Africa. Besigye, accompanied by a colleague, attended the meeting, but events took an unexpected turn.

“He went with his party colleague, and when they arrived, they entered the room and were just being introduced to two people—one he knew and the other he didn't. Then there was a knock on the door, and it was announced that the Kenya police had arrived. It turned out to be eight men in plain clothes. He couldn’t tell who was who, but they told him, 'You’re under arrest'" she said.

Byanyima explained that Besigye was surprised to see one of the men holding two guns and a box of money, which raised suspicion. The British national disappeared during the commotion, leaving Besigye and his colleague with one stranger.

"In the room were this man and his friend, both armed with two guns and a box of money—or so-called money. He didn't know whether it was money or not," she said.

"They told him, 'You’re under arrest,' and he said, 'Wait a moment, I don’t know why this man came with two guns, and I don’t know why he has this box of money. I did talk about fundraising, but I wasn’t expecting this,'" the wife said.

She added that Besigye didn’t have time to react as he was just taking photographs. At that point, the British man who had opened the door vanished, and he was left with another man he didn’t know.

Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who was abducted from Nairobi, stands in the dock at Uganda Military General Court Martial in Kampala. (Photo: Reuters)

The abductors bundled Besigye and his companion into a vehicle, driving them overnight across the border to Uganda.

Byanyima said the men occasionally spoke in a language Besigye understood, revealing their Ugandan origin. Once in Kampala, Besigye was detained in a military jail, allegedly in poor conditions.

“He’s in good spirits but sleeping on the floor in prison. He was charged in a military court, even though he is a civilian. This is wrong,” she said.

She condemned the charges of illegal possession of firearms and undermining state security, describing them as vague and unjustified.

Ugandan Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi had on Friday admitted on live television that Kampala had worked with Nairobi in Besigye’s arrest.

“How would you arrest somebody in Nairobi and bring them to Uganda without Kenya’s full knowledge and support?” he posed.

This contradicted earlier denials by Kenya’s Foreign Principal Secretary, Korir Sing’Oei, who asserted Kenya’s non-involvement. “Our human rights record is enviable in the region,” Sing’Oei said.

Besigye, who has contested Uganda’s presidency four times against Yoweri Museveni, has frequently rejected election results and been a target of political persecution.

Byanyima refrained from directly accusing Kenya of complicity but expressed disappointment.

"I'm fighting for the freedom and liberty of my husband, defending him to have justice in a civilian court. It's not for me to talk about the role of Kenyan security or the Kenyan government in this. It's sad, of course, that he was kidnapped from Kenya. Kenya has always been the country where we sought refuge. I came here fleeing Idi Amin, and it has always welcomed refugees. It's the stable country of the region, the growth engine of the region," she said.

"We want to be safe here, and we've always been safe here. But this incident, I think, is for you Kenyans to talk about, not for me."

The abduction has sparked widespread condemnation, raising questions about Kenya's role in the ordeal and straining diplomatic ties between the two countries.