Former presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine has called for the immediate release of opposition activist and four-time presidential candidate, Kizza-Besigye.
According to reliable sources, Besigye is currently being held at Makindye military barracks in Kampala, since Sunday. This has been corroborated by his wife, Winnie Byanyima, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to demand his release from military custody, stating that he is not a soldier.
Besigye went missing after close friends and relatives lost contact with him. He was last seen on Saturday in Uganda when he left his home in Kasangati, Wakiso district, to check on a patient at a hospital in Kampala.
Later that day, he travelled to Nairobi for what was confirmed to be attendance at Martha Karua’s book launch.
Another source revealed that they lost contact with Besigye and his travel companion shortly after he indicated his arrival in Kenya.
By press time, authorities in Uganda and Kenya were tight-lipped about the matter.
However, Bobi Wine says Besigye’s disappearance signify a return to the dark days of the past regimes where human rights were violated with impunity.
“The news of the disappearence and abduction of Dr. Kiiza Besigye from Kenya is of greatest concern…. .As we call for his immediate release, we condemn this blatant abuse of the law by the regime here in Uganda, and sadly the authorities in Kenya,” said Bobi Wine in a post on X.
“We are back to the dark days when Ugandans were casually picked from the streets of Nairobi and returned to Uganda to be tortured, jailed and others executed.”
“The abduction of Ugandan citizens from Kenya and handing them over to the regime in Uganda without following extradition laws must be condemned by all people of good conscience,” Bobi Wine added.
This authoritative news website has reliably learnt that Besigye will be arraigned before the General Court Martial later on Wednesday.
“Go to Makindye Court Martial today at 11 am; you will find the answer you need,” said Brig. Felix Kulaigye, the UPDF spokesperson, when contacted regarding Besigye’s whereabouts.