Human rights defenders in Kenya have taken to the streets demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Ugandan opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye, according to People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) Secretary General Harold Kaija.
Kaija said the protesters were calling for action over Besigye’s continued detention in Uganda after his alleged abduction in Kenya and subsequent transfer across the border.
“Today, human rights defenders across Kenya have taken to the streets to demand one thing: FREE DR. KIZZA BESIGYE,” Kaija said in a statement.
The PFF official accused the Kenyan government of complicity in the circumstances surrounding Besigye’s transfer, urging authorities to take steps to ensure his release and access to medical treatment.
Besigye, a veteran Ugandan opposition leader and longtime critic of President Yoweri Museveni, has remained in detention amid legal proceedings in Uganda. His detention has continued to attract concern from opposition groups, lawyers and human rights campaigners in both Uganda and the wider East African region.
Kaija alleged that Besigye had been denied adequate medical care while in detention, describing the situation as an urgent human rights concern.
He called on the Kenyan government to pressure the Museveni administration to release Besigye and allow him to obtain medical treatment.
The demonstrations come amid renewed scrutiny of cross-border security operations and the treatment of political opponents in the region, particularly where arrests or transfers involve more than one East African country.
Kaija maintained that the issue extends beyond Besigye himself, portraying his case as a wider test of regional commitment to human rights and due process.
“An injury to Besigye is an injury to all,” he said.