Missing Opposition Leader Besigye Set to Appear Before Army Court

Dr. Kizza Besigye, the prominent Ugandan opposition leader, will appear before the Makindye Court Martial today at 11 a.m., according to Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesperson Brig. Felix Kulayigye.

“Go to Makindye Court Martial today at 11 am; you will find the answer you need,” Kulayigye responded when asked about Besigye’s whereabouts.

Besigye, reportedly abducted from Nairobi, Kenya, last week, was forcibly returned to Uganda. Reliable sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirm that he has been held at Makindye military barracks in Kampala since Sunday.

His wife, Winnie Byanyima, has taken to social media, demanding his immediate release from military detention. “My husband is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail?” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding that the abduction occurred during his visit to Nairobi for Hon. Martha Karua’s book launch.

Besigye’s sudden disappearance was first reported on Tuesday night after friends and family lost contact with him. He was last seen in Uganda on Saturday before travelling to Nairobi. A source disclosed that his phone and that of his travel companion were turned off shortly after confirming their arrival in Kenya.

The case has raised serious concerns over his safety and the legal basis for his military detention.