Winnie Byanyima, wife of detained Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, has called on Ugandan authorities to transfer his case to a civilian court, expressing doubts about the fairness of a military trial.
Besigye was reportedly abducted in Kenya on November 16, 2024, while attending a book launch in Nairobi and later returned to Uganda to face charges of possessing weapons and other offenses. Both Amnesty International and a Kenyan official described his detention as an abduction, a claim denied by Uganda, which stated arrests abroad are done in collaboration with host countries.
Byanyima, also Executive Director of UNAIDS, labeled the charges politically motivated and urged President Yoweri Museveni to reconsider criminalizing opposition. She criticized Uganda’s use of military courts against political opponents, a practice the government defends as lawful.
Military spokesperson Felix Kulayigye asserted the court would ensure justice, while Byanyima urged international donors, including the US and UK, to condemn her husband’s detention and press for his release.
Kenya’s government denied involvement in Besigye’s arrest and is investigating the incident. Rights groups have also criticized Kenya for extraditing dissidents to face prosecution in their home countries.