Kenyan authorities have admitted to cooperating in the kidnapping of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye – who is now on trial for treason in his home country – on its territory last year.
Besigye, 68, who appeared in court for the latest hearing of his treason trial on Wednesday, was abducted by armed men in the heart of the Kenyan capital Nairobi in November last year and re-emerged a few days later at a military court in Uganda.
He is being prosecuted for treason and faces the death penalty.
Kenya's government had previously denied any involvement in his abduction, but in a TV interview on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Musalia Mudavadi admitted: "Kenya cooperated with the Ugandan authorities."
His lawyer, the Kenyan presidential candidate and former minister for justice Martha Karua, has denounced "illegal" arrangements between "rogue states" in East Africa.
She said she was "completely scandalised" by Mudavadi's admission.
"Kenya is admitting to being a rogue state," Karua added, as she described the "arrangements of having Kenya security agencies assist in the abduction and rendition" as "completely outside of the law".
'East African partners'
Mudavadi told Citizen TV: "[Uganda] is a friendly nation. [Besigye] was not seeking asylum. He had not come to say that he was seeking asylum. Had he said that, maybe the treatment would have been different."
He added: "We have to partner with our East African states and sometimes we have to manage those relations very carefully for the broader national interest."
Karua dismissed Mudavadi's claims of cooperation, saying this "must be grounded in the rule of law".
Kenya investigates alleged kidnapping of Ugandan opposition leader Besigye
Besigye is a former doctor to President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for nearly 40 years, but turned against him and ran for the presidency on multiple occasions.
Rights groups say Besigye's abduction and trial are linked to next January's election, when Museveni, 80, will once again seek re-election.
Besigye's case was moved to a civilian court after he went on hunger strike earlier this year.
But on Tuesday, Ugandan members of parliament passed a controversial bill authorising military tribunals for civilians, bypassing a Supreme Court ruling issued in January.
After a brief hearing on Wednesday, Besigye's case was adjourned to 29 May.
Fears for citizens' rights
Activists say the kidnapping and prosecution are part of a wider erosion of democracy across East Africa.
Tanzania's opposition leader Tundu Lissu is on trial for treason in his country ahead of elections in October. Several foreign activists attempted to attend his trial this week in but were detained and deported – including Karua.
Tension high in Tanzania ahead of opposition leader's 'treason' trial
Karua accused Kenyan, Ugandan and Tanzanian authorities of "collaborating to oppress citizens" and "violating their rights".
A Kenyan activist and a Ugandan journalist are still missing after being arrested by Tanzanian police.
(with AFP)
