Human rights defenders in Nairobi will take to the streets on Monday , September 21st to demand answers over the abduction of Ugandan opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye from Kenya.
The group announced the protest on Saturday, saying they want the Kenyan government to explain how Besigye disappeared in Nairobi on November 16, 2024, and resurfaced in Uganda four days later.
Besigye, 68, was in Nairobi for a book launch when he was reportedly kidnapped.
He later appeared before a military court in Kampala facing treason charges, a case that has since been moved to a civilian court.
Amnesty International has termed his transfer a forced renditionActivist Sayialel Mankuyio said the march is not against Kenya, but for its sovereignty.
“We are not marching against Kenya; we are marching for Kenya. We are marching because Kenya’s sovereignty must mean something on Kenyan soil,” he said.
The defenders also linked Besigye’s case to the arrest of 36 Ugandan nationals in Kisumu in July 2024 who were handed to Ugandan authorities.
The coalition is demanding Besigye’s unconditional release, medical evacuation after his health deteriorated in custody, and an independent investigation into who authorized the operation.
