Prominent Ugandan opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye has spent years outside his own country after repeated threats and arrests.
Over his entire political career, he has fled into exile on two different occasions.
The very first incident happened in the early 1980s when he crossed into Kenya. This came after he had graduated from Makerere, at a time when he was facing violence under the Obote government.
Besige had registered as a doctor in Uganda then and worked at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi. However, due to constant insecurity at the time, he joined the bush war that brought Museveni to power.
The second time Besigye went into exile, which was probably his longest time in exile, came after the 2001 elections. Besige challenged Museveni, and after the elections, he faced treason claims and tight surveillance.
In August that year he slipped out of Kampala, forcing his way silently out of the country. One account says he crossed Lake Victoria by boat at night and reached Tanzania first.
From there he moved on, briefly through the United States, before settling in South Africa. He stayed nearly four years, mostly near Johannesburg.
Despite being away, he kept speaking against the government from afar.
He stunned many when it came time for the next elections, as he returned to Uganda. In October 2005 to contest the next polls.
According to Besigye, these moves were not holidays but were survival tactics.