Human rights organizations in Kenya have announced that they will hold a peaceful protest in Nairobi on Monday, February 24th 2025, to demand the release of Dr. Kizza Besigye, a Ugandan opposition leader who has been in detention for over three months.

Besigye was abducted in Nairobi on November 16, 2024, while he was scheduled to attend Martha Karua’s book launch, and was forcibly taken to Uganda, where he was charged in a military court. His arrest has sparked outrage, with activists accusing the Ugandan government of political persecution and violating international human rights laws. Despite a Supreme Court ruling on January 31st 2025, that civilians should not be tried in military courts, Besigye and other political detainees remain behind bars.

Kenyan rights groups, including Amnesty International, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), have vowed to take action. They have organized a peaceful protest on February 24th, which will unfold in two stages:

• 10 AM: Protesters will gather at Aga Khan Walk and march to Kenya’s National Assembly to deliver their demands.
• 2 PM: The march will continue from Riverside Square to the Ugandan High Commission in Kileleshwa, where activists will call for Besigye’s release and justice for all political detainees in Uganda.

“We cannot sit back while Uganda continues to silence opposition voices through unlawful detentions,” said Maria Sarungi of Change Tanzania Movement. “This is no longer just a Ugandan issue, it affects the entire East African region,” she added.

The groups are calling for the immediate release of Dr. Besigye, Hajj Obeid Lutale, and lawyer Eron Kiiza, along with an end to the militarization of justice in Uganda. They are also urging the Kenyan government to investigate and stop the illegal abductions and transfer of foreign political opponents within the country.