Ugandan President Confirms Arrest, Release of Two Kenyan Activists

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed the arrest and subsequent release of two Kenyan activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who went missing in Uganda five weeks ago.

The two men were reportedly seized by masked, uniformed individuals following a political event supporting Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine last month, with authorities initially denying their detention. In a live interview yesterday, Museveni described Njagi and Oyoo as “experts in riots” who were held “in the fridge for some days,” adding that their release followed appeals from “some Kenyan leaders.” The activists arrived back in Nairobi, Kenya, yesterday and were greeted by supporters.

“Thirty-eight days of abduction was not easy. We didn’t think that we were going to come out alive because we were being abducted by the military,” Njagi stated upon his return. Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi attributed their release to “sustained diplomatic engagement between Kenya and Uganda.” This incident adds to a growing pattern of alleged cross-border actions targeting political activists in East Africa, raising concerns about regional stability and freedom of expression. Bobi Wine, who is running against Museveni in next year’s elections, accused the Ugandan government of targeting the Kenyans for their association with him, questioning why they were not formally charged if any offense was committed.

The release of Njagi and Oyoo follows similar incidents involving activists and opposition figures in the region, including a case last year where Njagi himself was briefly detained in Kenya. Amnesty International, along with Vocal Africa and the Law Society of Kenya, released a joint statement welcoming the activists’ return and calling for greater respect for human rights throughout the East African Community.

Kenyan and Ugandan officials have indicated they will continue discussions to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.