Uganda’s Minister for ICT and National Guidance Chris Baryomunsi has said the Kenyan government was aware and played a role in the arrest of opposition leader Kizza Besigye in Nairobi.
Speaking on Friday, November 22, the minister said the Government of Uganda was in touch with Kenya’s government before Besigye’s arrest.
Baryomunsi said it would be impossible to apprehend and transport Besigye to Uganda if Kenyan authorities were not aware.
“The government of Uganda was in touch with the government of Kenya, otherwise how would you arrest somebody in the middle of Nairobi and then bring him back to Uganda through the airport or even if it was by land without the full knowledge and support of the State,” he said in an interview with NBS Television.
This contradicts Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Dr Korir SingOei who dismissed reports indicating that Kenyan security agents may have been involved in the abduction of Besigye.
This is even as there is evidence of the involvement of the security agents.
Besigye was abducted on Saturday, November 16, while in Nairobi for a book launch hosted by Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua.
He was flown on a private jet from Wilson Airport to Entebbe and was later handed over to Ugandan authorities, who on Wednesday charged him with plotting to undermine national security and being in unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, which were all recovered in Nairobi.
Dr SingOei explained that there are established protocols for the arrival of national leaders in Kenya, both from the government and opposition, which can include facilitating transport and security.
“Dr. Besigye is a frequent visitor; he comes here privately to engage in private business and engagements. What I’m aware of is there are protocols sometimes that relate to the travel of senior government and opposition leaders,” he said.
“Often, they actually inform us of their presence in our countries, they can seek some facilitation at the airports and on that basis we are able to even give them security.”
SingOei added, the government had allegedly not been informed about his visit to Nairobi, making it difficult for local authorities to facilitate his trip and offer additional security.
“The circumstances surrounding his travel are not known to us because no information was shared with us before he travelled. We do not know which hotel he was booked to or which apartment he stayed and therefore we were not in a position to necessarily provide him with certain additional security,” said Singoei.
“But clearly, it seems from the reports I’ve followed on the news is that he (Besigye) was abducted. The reality though is that this is not the act of the Kenyan government or our security officials,” he added.
He claimed officials from the Interior Ministry had confirmed the same and that they had lost probe into the incident.
SingOei reassured that Kenya remains a safe haven for many, despite what he termed a regrettable incident.
“It could have happened in our soil which is indeed a regrettable development but just to assure Kenya is a safe haven for many people and has been for many years and will be for years to come,” he said.
“Our encouragement to leaders in government or the opposition is that if they are travelling to our country…..just out of good practice it might be helpful for us to be much more accountable to them by ensuring that they inform us and therefore we might be able to provide additional security just in case some mischievous elements take advantage of our liberties to be able to carry out heinous acts.”
The incident has attracted condemnation from various parties.
On Thursday November 21, the Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs said it was looking into reports of Besigye’s alleged abduction in Kenya.
In a statement, the body said circumstances surrounding the alleged kidnapping of the opposition leader must be clarified with transparency.
“We are closely following reports on the abduction and transnational rendition of civilian political figures Kizza Besigye and Obed Lutale from Kenya to Uganda. It is important that the circumstances be clarified with transparency and full legal protections,” the statement read.
Besigye was in Kenya for Karua’s book launch before he was forcefully placed under police custody and transported to a military jail in Kampala.
According to Karua, he arrived in Nairobi on Saturday, November 16, and checked into the Waridi Paradise Hotel and Suites.
Besigye then left the hotel with a taxi driver for a meeting at 108 Riverside Apartments, Apt. No. C1102 never to be seen again.
“The driver waited for him in the basement parking from about 4:30 p.m. to late evening until around 4:00 a.m. on Sunday when he gave up and left, having received no response to his several messages.
“Kizza Besigye was scheduled to attend and speak at Hon. Martha Karua’s book launch on Sunday, the 17th of November, where he was a no-show. We suspect that Dr. Bessigye may have been abducted after he was dropped at the Riverside Apartments, most likely by Ugandan authorities working in cahoots with and facilitated by Kenyan authorities,” Karua said
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