Human rights organizations in Kenya have announced that two activists, who vanished in Uganda five weeks ago, have been discovered alive and unharmed. Eyewitness accounts indicate that Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo were forcibly taken by masked, uniformed individuals following a political gathering supporting Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine.
Safe return confirmed
On Saturday, the activist group Vocal Africa reported that the men are now safe and are being transported from Busia, Uganda, to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Vocal Africa expressed hope in a statement shared on their Instagram account, stating,
“Let this moment signal an important shift towards upholding the human rights of East Africans anywhere in East African Community.”
Despite Ugandan police denying that the activists were in their custody, Kenyan human rights groups pressed Ugandan authorities for their release. Vocal Africa, along with the Law Society of Kenya and Amnesty International, issued a joint statement expressing gratitude towards the Kenyan and Ugandan governments, as well as activists, journalists, diplomats, and “all active citizens who have tirelessly campaigned for this moment.”
Political context and concerns
Former pop star Bobi Wine is setting the stage for a presidential run in next year’s elections, challenging the long-standing rule of President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986. Wine has accused the Ugandan government of targeting Njagi and Oyoo due to their association with him.
Ugandan security forces have a troubling history of detaining opposition figures and their supporters, often in plain clothes. Many who have been arrested have later appeared in court facing various charges. The recent disappearances of Njagi and Oyoo echo previous incidents involving politicians and activists throughout the East African region.
Last year, Njagi himself was abducted in Kenya by masked men during a series of kidnappings aimed at government critics. He was eventually released after a court ordered his production, recounting his harrowing experience of isolation and deprivation during captivity.
This year also saw the detention of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi alongside Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire in Tanzania, where they were held without communication for several days before being released at their home borders. They later described brutal treatment, including allegations of sexual torture, which Tanzanian authorities dismissed as mere “hearsay.”
Furthermore, another opposition figure in Uganda, Kizza Besigye, mysteriously disappeared in Nairobi last year, only to reappear four days later in a military court in Uganda facing treason charges. These incidents have raised alarm and widespread condemnation, highlighting fears that East African governments might be cooperating to suppress dissent.