Winnie Byanyima, the wife of detained Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, has revealed dramatic details about the circumstances surrounding her husband’s abduction in Nairobi, Kenya.
Speaking during an interview with Kenyan journalist Jeff Koinange, Byanyima confirmed that Besigye was abducted from a meeting in a Nairobi apartment where two British nationals, armed with firearms, were present, and the discussion revolved around regime change in Uganda.
Besigye, a longtime critic of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, was arrested under mysterious circumstances.
His disappearance from Nairobi sparked speculation until it was reported last Wednesday that he had been taken to Uganda and was being held in a military facility.
Last week, Besigye and his co-accused, Hajji Lutale Kamulegeya, were arraigned at the Makindye General Court Martial in Kampala, where they were charged with illegal possession of firearms and attempting to solicit foreign support for political activities that could compromise Uganda’s national security.
Both men denied the charges and questioned the court’s jurisdiction.
The arrest, Byanyima explained, occurred after Besigye met the two British nationals at Riverside Apartments in Nairobi.
The foreigners, she said, had shown interest in Africa and had reportedly offered to fund political activities in Uganda.
During their meeting, which focused on strategies for political change, the foreigners allegedly had two firearms and a box of cash in the room.
However, their discussions were cut short when eight unidentified men stormed the apartment and declared Besigye under arrest. The British nationals managed to escape, leaving Besigye to face the operatives alone.
Byanyima revealed that her husband was then driven out of Nairobi under heavy security and taken across the border into Uganda, where he was eventually detained.
She accused the British nationals of setting Besigye up by recording their conversation and using it to tip off Ugandan operatives.
This dramatic revelation comes on the heels of leaked audio recordings that have been circulating on social media.
The tapes, purportedly of Besigye, capture a conversation between him and a foreigner with a British accent.
In the recordings, the individual believed to be Besigye criticizes Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, Uganda’s Leader of the Opposition, as “unserious” and expresses doubts about his ability to lead a change in Uganda.
The voice advocates for mass uprisings supported by military intervention to overthrow the Museveni regime.
Besigye’s loyalists have dismissed the audio recordings as doctored, claiming they were engineered using artificial intelligence (AI) to tarnish his reputation.
Meanwhile, government officials have remained tight-lipped about the incident, with Ugandan Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi stating that the government does not carry out abductions. Kenyan authorities, including Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Singoei, denied any involvement in the arrest.
Besigye’s detention and the details surrounding his arrest have further heightened tensions in Uganda’s political landscape. A vocal critic of Museveni’s 38-year rule, Besigye has faced numerous arrests over the years, often accusing the government of using force and intimidation to silence opposition voices.
