Human rights defenders in Nairobi are planning to take to the streets on Monday to press for the release of veteran Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, following new evidence presented in his ongoing treason trial that reportedly links his case to meetings held in Kenya.
Besigye, a longtime critic of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, is said to have been picked up in Nairobi in November 2024 before resurfacing in Uganda, where he now faces treason and misprision of treason charges. His case was recently moved from a military court to a civilian one, a shift his supporters have welcomed but say does not go far enough.
Prosecutors allege Besigye took part in a series of meetings across Uganda, Kenya, Greece and Switzerland as part of an effort to plot the overthrow of the Museveni government. It is those Kenya-linked allegations — said to include gatherings in Nairobi and Kisumu — that appear to have prompted activists to organise Monday’s demonstration.
Organisers are expected to renew demands for an independent inquiry into the circumstances of Besigye’s transfer from Kenya to Uganda, a case that has drawn concern from regional human rights bodies since it first came to light. Treason is a capital offence under Ugandan law, and campaigners argue that the seriousness of the charge makes an impartial account of how he ended up in Ugandan custody all the more urgent.
Besigye remains in detention as the trial continues, and it is not yet clear when a verdict might be expected. His case has become a rallying point for civil society groups across East Africa who see it as a test of how the region handles cross-border pursuit of political dissidents.
Kenyan authorities have not issued a statement on the planned protest. The Post understands organisers intend to gather in Nairobi, though the precise assembly point had not been made public by the time of publication.