Kenyan authorities have wavered between denying any knowledge of the operation and remaining silent, while Ugandan officials say the two countries have shared a large amount of intelligence.
“The Ugandan government has been in contact with the Kenyan government. Otherwise, how could someone be arrested in downtown Nairobi and then brought back to Uganda, either through the airport or overland, without the full knowledge and support of the state? there in Kenya?” Information Minister Boryomuns told Ugandan NBS television.
Many Kenyans are questioning the nature of security ties between the two countries and whether there has been full disclosure that Besigye will be charged in a military court.
Last Tuesday, Kenya’s acting foreign minister, Musalia Mudavadi, refrained from giving clear answers to reporters, asking that his country not be judged “too harshly.”
Mudavadi, who is also the acting Home Affairs minister, said Kenya was an open country that allowed “a lot of latitude”. But he warned foreigners against causing a rift between Kenya and their countries.
He said Besigi’s case would be resolved diplomatically, calling Uganda a “strong partner of Kenya”.
Uganda’s admission that Kenya was involved in the kidnapping resulted in the Kenyan government facing backlash both in Uganda and at home.
Some Ugandans staged protests outside the Kenyan embassy in Kampala, while others threatened to boycott Kenyan brands.
Besigye’s arrest follows a series of high-profile kidnappings and disappearances in Kenya, including the forced deportation of four Turkish refugees to Ankarawhere they faced accusations of conspiracy against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Additional reporting by Alan Kasuji
