By Spy Uganda
Activists in Kenya are planning nationwide demonstrations on Thursday, September 3, calling for the release of Ugandan opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye and seeking greater transparency over his transfer from Kenya to Uganda in 2024.
The planned demonstrations are expected to begin at Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nairobi, with activists also planning to petition the Interior Ministry. Organisers say they want Kenyan authorities to clarify the circumstances surrounding Besigye’s transfer and to support his access to medical treatment.
Besigye and his aide, Hajji Obeid Lutale, were arrested in Nairobi in November 2024 and later appeared before a military court in Kampala. The pair were subsequently moved to Uganda’s civilian court system after the Supreme Court ruled that military courts could not try civilians.
Kenyan Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi said in May 2025 that Kenya had “cooperated with the Ugandan authorities” in the transfer. Mudavadi also said Besigye had not sought asylum in Kenya and that his presence in the country had raised security concerns.
Activists, however, have questioned the legal basis and circumstances of the operation. They are calling for an independent inquiry into who requested, authorised and facilitated the transfer.
Among their demands is the preservation and disclosure, where legally appropriate, of communications, surveillance records, border records and operational documents relating to the incident.
Hussein Khalid, chief executive of Vocal Africa, has argued that international law includes protections against returning individuals to places where they face a serious risk of persecution or torture.
The protests are also being driven by concerns over Besigye’s health.
Besigye collapsed during proceedings in his treason case at the High Court in Kampala on July 29 and was admitted to Mulago National Referral Hospital. He was later returned to Luzira Prison.
His wife, Winnie Byanyima, has said his condition has remained serious and has called for him to receive specialised treatment outside Uganda, including in Geneva, Switzerland.
Prison authorities transferred Besigye to the Joint Clinical Research Centre hospital on August 28 after his condition worsened. He was again evacuated from Luzira Prison for medical treatment on August 31.
Kenyan activists have included medical evacuation among their demands for Thursday’s demonstrations.
Meanwhile, Besigye’s treason proceedings at the High Court in Kampala are continuing.
On August 18, Justice Emmanuel Baguma allowed the case to proceed after medical specialists assessed Besigye as being able to understand the proceedings, while finding that he was unable to speak or write normally.
The prosecution’s case has included recordings presented through its first witness, American private security investigator Andrew Wilson. Prosecutors allege that meetings involving Besigye and others formed part of a plan to overthrow the government of President Yoweri Museveni.
Besigye and his co-accused deny the allegations.
The court resumed hearing audio evidence on September 1. Wilson has testified that he secretly recorded meetings in Geneva, Athens and elsewhere.
Some of the evidence has faced scrutiny in court, including concerns about the quality of certain recordings. Wilson also testified that footage from a Nairobi meeting involving Besigye was lost after Kenyan police interfered with his recording equipment.
