A prominent Ugandan opposition politician, who was last publicly seen at a book launch in neighbouring Kenya over the weekend, will be arraigned before a military court on Wednesday, the army spokesperson has told a local media outlet.
Kizza Besigye's wife had earlier claimed that her husband was abducted in Kenya and was transferred to Uganda where he was being held at a military jail in Kampala.
"Go to Makindye court martial today at 11am, you will find the answer you need," said Brigadier Felix Kulaigye when asked by Uganda Radio Network about Besigye's whereabouts.
Besigye has run against Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in four elections and lost each time, although he has rejected the results, alleging fraud and voter intimidation. He has been arrested dozens of times before.
'Release my husband'
"I request the (government) of Uganda to release my husband Dr Kizza Besigye from where he is being held immediately," said his wife Winnie Byanyima.
In July, Kenyan authorities detained 36 members of Besigye's Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, one of Uganda's main opposition groups, and deported them to Uganda where they were charged with terrorism-related offences.
Besigye, who was Museveni's physician during the guerrilla war but later became an outspoken critic, was kidnapped on Saturday during the launch of a book by veteran Kenyan opposition politician Martha Karua, Byanyima wrote on the social media platform X.
'Military jail'
"I am now reliably informed that he is in a military jail in Kampala," said Byanyima, who is the executive director of UNAIDS, the United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS.
"We his family and his lawyers demand to see him. He is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail?"
Museveni's government has been accused of repeated human rights abuses against opposition leaders and supporters, including illegal detentions, torture and extra-judicial killings.
Officials deny the accusations and say those arrested are detained legally and processed appropriately by the court system.
➤Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
