Ugandan opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye and his aide Obeid Lutale have filed a lawsuit at Kenya’s High Court challenging what they term as their “unlawful and violent” arrest and extradition from Nairobi to Kampala in November 2024.
In court documents filed through James Njeri & Co. Advocates, the two allege that their forced return to Uganda violated both Kenyan constitutional rights and territorial sovereignty. They now seek a judicial declaration that the operation did not meet the legal threshold outlined in Kenya’s Extradition (Commonwealth Countries) Act Cap. 77.
According to their petition, the duo had legally entered Kenya via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to attend a book launch hosted by opposition leader Martha Karua, when they were abducted on November 16 by men in civilian clothing—allegedly Ugandan security agents posing as Kenyan police.
They claim they were driven across the border in the dead of night without any formal extradition process, later discovering their captors were Ugandan after hearing them speak Runyankore, a regional dialect.
Upon arrival in Makindye Military Barracks in Kampala, they were detained incommunicado, denied access to lawyers, medical care, or their families, and later charged in civilian court with firearms possession and treason.
The pair allege the arrest was a joint operation, citing public statements by senior Ugandan officials—including Uganda’s ICT Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi—who claimed the mission was coordinated with Kenyan security forces.
However, Kenya’s Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei denied any state involvement, prompting the petitioners to accuse Uganda of violating Kenya’s territorial integrity with the alleged cross-border abduction.
The suit seeks a declaration that the operation was illegal and demands accountability for the alleged breach of sovereignty, due process, and individual rights under Kenyan law.
