The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Uganda’s Minister of Information, Chris Baryomunsi, has stated that the Ugandan government coordinated with Kenya to facilitate the arrest of opposition leader Kizza Besigye.
In an interview with a local Ugandan TV station, Baryomunsi questioned how Besigye’s arrest and detention could have occurred without the Kenyan government’s full awareness and cooperation.
“Dr. Kizza Besigye was arrested, and the government of Uganda was in contact with the government of Kenya. How else could someone be arrested in the heart of Nairobi and transported back to Uganda, either by air or land, without the Kenyan authorities being fully informed and supportive?” Baryomunsi said.
He also emphasized that the security officers who captured Besigye had prior intelligence. Baryomunsi explained that both he and Besigye had previously traveled to Nairobi without any issues, further supporting his claim of Kenyan involvement in the arrest.
“None of us had access to the intelligence that the officers who arrested him did,” he added.
Baryomunsi’s statements come after Kenyan government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said he was unaware of any such abduction. Korir Sing’oei, a senior official in Kenya’s foreign affairs ministry, also stated he was not aware that Besigye was even in the country.
Besigye recently appeared before a military court in Kampala to face charges, including illegal possession of firearms and attempting to buy weapons abroad. He denied the charges, along with his co-accused, opposition politician Obedi Lutale.
The case emerged after Besigye’s wife claimed he was abducted in Nairobi on Saturday and sent back to Uganda, where he is being held in a military detention facility.
Baryomunsi’s remarks also follow calls from Martha Karua, leader of the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) Kenya, who demanded accountability from Kenyan security agencies regarding the alleged abduction of Besigye and his subsequent detention in Uganda. Karua condemned the incident as a breach of both domestic and international law.
