By Jamil Kato
Martha Karua, a former Kenyan Minister for Justice and Gichugu Constituency Member of Parliament, has joined other leaders in calling for the immediate release of veteran Ugandan opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye. Karua, whose book launch Besigye had attended in Nairobi, urged Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and William Ruto of Kenya to “come clean on the safety and whereabouts of” the former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader.
Karua’s comments came in response to a statement by Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, shared on X (formerly Twitter). Byanyima, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, alleged that Besigye was being held in a military prison in Kampala after being kidnapped during his visit to Nairobi.
On Wednesday, 20 November, Byanyima posted:“I request the Government of Uganda to release my husband, Dr Kizza Besigye, from where he is being held immediately.”
Byanyima revealed that Besigye had travelled to Nairobi last Saturday to attend Karua’s book launch. She added:“He was kidnapped last Saturday while he was in Nairobi for Hon Martha Karua’s book launch. I am now reliably informed that he is in a military jail in Kampala.”
Karua, a seasoned lawyer and Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, resigned as Kenya’s Minister for Justice in 2009. In her statement, she condemned the detention and demanded transparency from both governments.
Meanwhile, political figures and Ugandans have taken to social media to express outrage over Besigye’s alleged detention. Byanyima questioned the legality of her husband’s confinement in a military facility:“We, his family and his lawyers, demand to see him. He is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail?”
Miguna Miguna, a former senior adviser to Kenya’s ex-Prime Minister Raila Odinga, criticised Karua for not addressing the matter publicly sooner.
Additionally, Buhweju Member of Parliament in Uganda expressed dismay on X, writing:“President Ruto, why betray East Africa to this level? We demand the release of Dr Kizza Besigye.”
