Besigye Lawyer Urges Ruto to Use Diplomatic Channels to Seek His Release

Ugandan lawyer Kiiza Eron, who represents opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye, has called on President William Ruto to use Kenya’s diplomatic channels to push for Besigye’s unconditional release and medical evacuation.

In a statement issued on Friday, Eron said Kenya should continue engaging the Ugandan government over Besigye’s detention and support efforts aimed at resolving the case.

Besigye, 70, has remained in detention in Uganda after disappearing in Nairobi in November 2024 and subsequently resurfacing in Kampala. His legal team and family have described the incident as an abduction and have alleged that he was forcibly transferred from Kenya to Uganda.

Eron has called for an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Besigye’s transfer, including the alleged involvement of Kenyan and Ugandan authorities.

“President Ruto must now do what a President who respects the law would have done in November 2024,” Eron said. “He must use Kenya’s full diplomatic standing to secure Dr Besigye’s unconditional release and medical evacuation.”

The lawyer also referred to previous statements by Kenyan officials concerning the matter, including remarks attributed to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi in May 2025 regarding Kenya’s cooperation with Ugandan authorities.

Eron further called for the issues surrounding Besigye’s transfer to be addressed through legal and diplomatic mechanisms, including proceedings before the East African Court of Justice.

Case before East African Court of Justice

The matter is before the East African Court of Justice under Reference No. 56 of 2024, filed by Dr Kizza Besigye and three others against the Attorneys General of Kenya and Uganda.

According to the court's case record, the applicants allege that actions on November 16, 2024, including an alleged extraterritorial abduction, arrest, detention and forcible removal from Kenya to Uganda, violated provisions of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.

The case was filed on December 4, 2024, and names both the Attorney General of Kenya and the Attorney General of Uganda as respondents.

The allegations remain matters for legal determination and should not be treated as established findings against either government.

Renewed attention in Kenya

The case has also generated renewed attention in Kenya, with demonstrations and public calls for Besigye's release.

Eron additionally raised the case of Kenyan human rights activist Boniface Mulinge Muteti, who was reported missing after participating in demonstrations calling for Besigye's release. Muteti was subsequently reported to have been found alive in Lukenya on Friday.

Byanyima raises Besigye's case with Ruto

Meanwhile, Besigye's wife, Winnie Byanyima, met President William Ruto on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23.

Byanyima said she raised her husband's continued detention during the meeting while also discussing her work on global health and Africa's capacity to manufacture medicines and health technologies.

In a subsequent statement, Byanyima said she would continue engaging governments and other leaders as part of her work while maintaining her advocacy over Besigye's case.

The meeting came amid renewed scrutiny of Kenya's role in the events surrounding Besigye's disappearance from Nairobi in November 2024.

Calls for diplomatic and legal action

Eron's latest statement places renewed focus on Kenya's diplomatic role in the case and calls for the government to engage Uganda over Besigye's continued detention.

The lawyer's position comes as the case remains subject to legal proceedings and as Besigye's family and supporters continue to call for his release.

The East African Court of Justice proceedings remain a separate legal avenue through which the allegations concerning Besigye's transfer from Kenya to Uganda are being examined.