UgandaToday: Kenyan Activists Freed After 39 Days in Secret Ugandan Detention
Abduction After Kyagulanyi Rally
Two Kenyan political activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who had traveled to Uganda’s border district of Busia to attend a rally by opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, have been freed after spending 39 days in secret detention.
The duo went missing shortly at the Kireka Total Petrol Station enroute to Kampala from Busia, where Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, addressed hundreds of supporters in what had been described as a peaceful mobilization event.
Abducted by Plain-Clothed Armed Men
Eyewitnesses at Kireka reported that plain-clothed armed men believed to be security operatives whisked away the two visitors moments after they left the rally venue. Their whereabouts remained unknown for over a month, sparking diplomatic concern and appeals from Kenyan civil society groups and human rights defenders.
Family members and colleagues of the activists in Nairobi said repeated efforts to trace them through both Ugandan and Kenyan authorities yielded no results until this week when reports surfaced of their release.
Secret Military Detention
Sources close to human rights organizations in Kampala revealed that Njagi and Oyoo had been held incommunicado at a military facility, believed to be one of several unofficial detention centers allegedly used by security operatives for political-related arrests.
During their detention, the activists were reportedly interrogated about their links to opposition groups in both countries and their role at the Kyagulanyi rally.
Pressure from Civil Society and Regional Concern
Kenyan and Ugandan human rights bodies, including Defenders Coalition Kenya and Chapter Four Uganda, had issued joint statements demanding their release.
The incident adds to growing concerns about cross-border suppression of dissent, especially as Uganda prepares for yet another tense electoral season.
A Nairobi-based lawyer representing the duo said they were physically weak but grateful to be alive after their ordeal. “They were blindfolded for days, transferred between unknown locations, and denied access to legal counsel,” he revealed.
Kyagulanyi Reacts
Reacting to the news, Kyagulanyi condemned the abduction and detention, calling it a “dangerous export of repression beyond borders.” He demanded accountability from the Ugandan authorities, insisting that “freedom of expression and association knows no nationality.”
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