Govt Denies Role in Besigye’s Abduction Amid Rising Backlash Over Foreign Abductions

Besigye is a frequent visitor to our country. He comes to Kenya privately to engage in private business and engagements. There are protocols that relate to the travel of senior government and opposition leaders. Often they inform us of their presence in our country. They seek some facilitation at the airport, and on that basis, we are able to tend to them. For instance, give them security,

Sing'Oei asserted

When I spoke to my colleagues at interior, they informed me that they had launched investigations into the circumstances that surround this so-called abduction,

he affirmed

With that being said, our ministry was in the dark in respect to Besigye’s visit. We did not know the hotel he was booked to. We did not know which apartment he stayed in. Therefore, we were not in a position to provide him with additional security,

he claimed

The circumstances surrounding Besigye’s travel to Kenya were not known to us. No information was shared with us before he traveled,

he stated

From the reports I am gathering, is that Besigye was abducted from an apartment in Nairobi. The reality, though, is that this is not an act of the Kenyan government. It is not an act by our security officials,

he stated

Kizza Besigye visits Kenya many times, he is a leader who has friends, family here… [but] he didn’t tell us that he was coming to Kenya as the foreign affairs ministry, or that he needed any facilitation. We understand him, we value him and we hope that his situation can be resolved by the neighbouring country,

Sing’oei told the BBC

The manner and circumstances surrounding his arrest are really disturbing to us… [it] is shrouded in mystery. The government of Kenya owes us an explanation,

he said

For his liberty to be curtailed in a sovereign state like Kenya, and no actions being taken by the Kenyan government against the sister country violating the territorial integrity of Kenya, that is a very serious matter and we are not going to let it lie down,

he said

I request the (government) of Uganda to release my husband Dr Kizza Besigye from where he is being held immediately,

said Besigye's wife, Winnie Byanyima, who is the head of UNAIDS

We his family and his lawyers demand to see him. He is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail

said Byanyima, the executive director of the United Nations agency for HIV/AIDS

It is very, very shocking that Kenya, which used to be a safe haven for dissidents, is now increasingly becoming an operational zone for the dictatorship,

Bobi Wine, another prominent Ugandan opposition figure, told local broadcaster NTV

So being arrested from Kenya should not be a problem. The assurance we give the country is that the (Ugandan) government does not arrest somebody and keeps him or her incommunicado for a long time,

he told Uganda's public broadcaster

We hold both the Governments of Kenya and Uganda responsible for the safety and whereabouts of Besigye and challenge them to conduct their cross-border operations in accordance with their respective laws and international Human rights law,

the Network demanded

Besigye was scheduled to attend and speak at Martha Karua's book launch on Sunday, November 17 where he was a no-show. His family and friends have not been able to trace him since he was dropped at riverside apartments and calls on his phone have gone unanswered,

read the statement in part

The latest information we have is Besigye is in military cells in Kampala and the army is planning to produce him in the General Court Martial today,

Erias Lukwago told the AFP news agency, quoting sources within the military

We are yet to establish the charges against him,

he added

The government is not in the habit of arresting citizens and keeping them incommunicado forever. If he (Besigye) is arrested he will be arraigned in court and charged accordingly,

Baryomunsi said

I am currently in Soroti as part of President Museveni’s entourage. I am not aware that he is being held by the government. I’m still cross-checking with our security agencies. In any case, why would he be arrested?”

Baryomunsi wondered

However, we are still cross-checking with our security agencies and colleagues in Kenya because we are told he had travelled there for a book launch before he disappeared,

he added

I am now reliably informed that he is in a military jail in Kampala,

said Byanyima, who is the executive director of the United Nations HIV/AIDS agency (UNAIDS).