Kizza Besigye: What we know about Ugandan opposition leader’s detention

Kenyan authorities have swung between denying any knowledge of the operation and remaining silent, while Ugandan officials say that a lot of intelligence was shared between the two countries.

“The government of Uganda was in touch with the government of Kenya. Otherwise, how would you arrest somebody in the middle of Nairobi and then bring him back to Uganda, whether through the airport or land, without the full knowledge and support of the state there in Kenya?” Information Minister Baryomunsi told Uganda’s NBS TV.

Many Kenyans are asking about the nature of security ties between the two countries and if there was a full disclosure that Besigye would be charged in a military court.

Last Tuesday, Kenya’s acting Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi refrained from giving clear answers to journalists, pleading that his country should not be judged “too harshly”.

Mudavadi, who is also the acting interior minister, said Kenya was an open country, which allowed “a lot of latitude”. But he warned foreigners against causing a rift between Kenya and their home countries.

He said Besigye’s matter would be resolved diplomatically, describing Uganda as Kenya’s “strong partner”.

The acknowledgement by Uganda that Kenya was involved in the abduction has left the Kenyan government facing a backlash both in Uganda and back home.

Some Ugandans have held protests outside the Kenyan embassy in Kampala while others have threatened to boycott Kenyan brands.

Besigye’s detention follows a string of high-profile abductions and disappearances in Kenya, including the forced deportation of four Turkish refugees to Ankara, where they faced allegations of conspiring against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Additional reporting by Alan Kasujja