Uganda: Opposition Politician Charged After Abduction

Dr Kizza Besigye is a Ugandan physician, opposition politician and a former presidential candidate for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) who unsuccessfully ran against President Museveni in the 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016 presidential elections. 

According to Dr Kizza Besigye’s lawyers, he was last seen at around 4.30pm on 16 November in an apartment complex in Nairobi, Kenya, and was subsequently unreachable until family members confirmed that he was being held at a military jail in Kampala with no access to his family or lawyers. Dr Besigye’s lawyers claim that the abduction is the result of collusion between Kenyan and Ugandan authorities, but the Kenyan government has denied involvement.

Dr Besigye was arraigned alongside FDC member Haji Obeid Lutale at Makindye General Court Martial despite being a civilian and charged with offences relating to security and the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. According to a 2006 ruling by the Constitutional Court of Uganda, military courts have no jurisdiction to try cases of terrorism and unlawful possession of firearms. Similarly, Amnesty International does not consider trials by military courts of civilians to be fair.

The Ugandan Government has a history of wrongfully charging political opponents including from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and the National Unity Platform (NUP). This is a tool of repression that has been used to clamp down on members of the opposition. This is despite 2 rulings by the Constitutional Court of Uganda prohibiting the misuse of military courts to try civilians under the Uganda People Defence Forces (UPDF) Act in 2021 and the 2006 ruling on military related charges.