Kenya had to act, Mudavadi speaks on Uganda's opposition leader Besigye's arrest
Mudavadi said the reasons for Besigye’s presence in Kenya “were not quite clear.”
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has explained Kenya’s involvement in the arrest of Ugandan opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye last year, saying the reasons for Besigye’s presence in Kenya “were not quite clear.”
Speaking in an interview on Citizen TV’s The Explainer show, Mudavadi said Besigye’s business in Kenya raised questions from the start, and the situation became sensitive as issues developed.
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“He came here, and there were issues, and he had to go,” Mudavadi said on Tuesday.
“I think the manner in which he had come to Kenya was not quite clear, and at that time, certain issues were beginning to evolve… I would rather leave it at that, because he’s now in the custody of his nation and his authorities,” he explained.
Mudavadi stressed that Kenya’s cooperation with Uganda was motivated by national interests, especially the need to protect diplomatic and economic ties with East African neighbours.
“We always look at national interest. We have to partner with our East African States, and sometimes we have to manage those relations very carefully for the broader national interest,” he said.
“Even as individuals, we must be cognizant that there’s a nation and nations have relationships.”
He also pointed out that Besigye did not formally apply for asylum while in Kenya, a factor that may have shaped the government’s response.
“Had he said that he was seeking asylum, maybe the treatment would’ve been different,” Mudavadi remarked.
Highlighting the importance of regional cooperation, Mudavadi noted that Uganda is a key trading partner for Kenya, with many jobs and livelihoods dependent on this relationship.
“What would happen to the Kenyan economy if there were no more trade between Kenya and Uganda?” he asked.
Besigye, known for his long opposition to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, was briefly in Kenya before his arrest and return to Uganda in November 2024.
His arrest sparked public debate and drew criticism from human rights groups and opposition supporters.
The government has maintained that its actions followed diplomatic obligations and national interest, a point Mudavadi reinforced during the interview.
In February this year, a Ugandan court charged Besigye with treason and denied his lawyers’ requests to transfer him to a hospital for treatment after a hunger strike left him weak. The 68-year-old opposition figure appeared frail and was seen in a wheelchair during the court appearance.
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