‎Nairobi, Kenya – Uganda’s opposition leader Col. (Rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye has sued senior Kenyan officials, accusing them of colluding with Ugandan security forces to abduct and illegally extradite him from Nairobi last year. ‎ ‎In a petition filed at the High Court’s Constitutional and Human Rights Division, Besigye and fellow Ugandan, Hajj Obeid Lutale, claim they were seized on November 16, 2024 at Riverside Apartments in Nairobi by armed men who introduced themselves as Kenyan police.

‎The two say they were bundled into vehicles, driven to Malaba border, and handed over to Ugandan operatives without any court process. ‎ ‎They were later detained at Makindye Military Barracks in Kampala, denied access to lawyers and family, and eventually charged before the Uganda General Court Martial with treason and unlawful possession of firearms allegedly in Kenya. ‎

‎“Our abduction and removal from this Court’s jurisdiction was conducted by foreign agents from Uganda without following any legal or due process,” Besigye states in his sworn affidavit.

‎ ‎The petition names Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi, Defence CS Soipan Tuya, Interior CS, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Immigration DG Evelyn Cheluget, the Attorney General, and the Malaba border officer as respondents.

‎ ‎Besigye argues his arrest violated the Kenyan Constitution and the Extradition Act, which requires judicial oversight. He also accuses Kenyan authorities of compromising the country’s sovereignty by allowing Ugandan security forces to operate inside Kenya. ‎ ‎While Kenya’s Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei denied involvement, CS Mudavadi later admitted on Citizen TV that Nairobi had “cooperated” with Kampala. Uganda’s ICT Minister Chris Baryomunsi also told NBS TV that the arrest was a joint effort. ‎ ‎Besigye now seeks declarations that the extradition was unconstitutional, damages, and removal of the Kenyan officials he accuses of facilitating the operation. ‎