By The Weekly Vision Team
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and two human rights groups have condemned the reported abduction of Kenyan activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, in Kampala, Uganda, on Wednesday, 1 October, while campaigning for opposition leader Bobi Wine.
The two activists, affiliated with the Free Kenya Movement, were reportedly seized by armed individuals believed to be Ugandan security operatives while participating in the campaign trail of Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi.
According to LSK, Vocal Africa, and Amnesty International Kenya, eyewitness accounts indicate that the activists were forcibly taken from a petrol station in Kireka, Kampala, in broad daylight and driven to an undisclosed location. Their mobile phones were immediately switched off, and their whereabouts remain unknown. A third activist, who was briefly detained and later released, has expressed fear for his safety and uncertainty about the fate of his colleagues.
“This latest incident represents yet another alarming case in a pattern of abductions and enforced disappearances of East African activists, exposing the deepening crackdown on dissent in the region. Over the last year, human rights organisations have documented an escalation and a disturbing pattern of transnational repression and intimidation targeting activists and opposition figures across East Africa,” the statement signed by LSK President Faith Odhiambo, Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director Irungu Houghton, and Vocal Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid read.
“These incidents demonstrate a systematic and coordinated assault on civil society, the media, and political opposition in East Africa.” “This is not the first time Bob Njagi has been targeted. In August 2024, Bob Njagi and two brothers, Aslam and Jamil Longton, were forcibly disappeared in Kenya for over a month after participating in demonstrations against economic policies. They were held incommunicado, tortured, and later released. Since then, Njagi has reported continued surveillance and harassment, placing him at heightened risk,” they noted.
According to the trio, his re-abduction across the border in Uganda is therefore a grave escalation, signalling the persistence of state-linked repression intended to silence those demanding justice and accountability.
They called on the Ugandan authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of Njagi and Oyoo and ensure their safety, well-being, release, and return to Kenya; guarantee their right to legal representation and communication with their families; investigate the circumstances of their abduction and hold those responsible accountable; and uphold the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, which are protected under both Ugandan and international human rights law.
“We further urge the Kenyan government to actively engage with Ugandan authorities to ensure the safe release of its citizens and to ensure that cross-border activism is not criminalised or violently suppressed. The Law Society of Kenya, Vocal Africa, and Amnesty International Kenya will continue to seek the protection and release of Bob Njagi, Nicholas Oyoo, their families, and all East Africans facing repression.”
Chronology of Reported Abductions, Arrests, and Torture (2024–2025)
- July 2025: Kenyan activist Mwabili Mwagodi was abducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and later dropped off in Kwale, Kenya.
- May 2025: Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan journalist Agather Atuhaire were abducted in Tanzania while observing opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s trial. They were reportedly tortured and disappeared for a period.
- 27 April 2025: Eddie Mutwe, head of security for the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), was abducted, held without communication, and allegedly tortured.
- 2 April 2025: Nine youth environmentalists were arrested in Kampala, charged under the common nuisance law for protesting against funding for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
- January 2025: Four members of the Lubaga Social Justice Centre were arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and First Lady Janet Museveni. They reported being abducted, held incommunicado in a “safe house” for 12 days, blindfolded, beaten, and denied food and water during interrogations. One individual reported sexual harassment while in custody.
- 16 November 2024: In an act of transnational repression, Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye and Haji Obeid Lutale were abducted in Kenya and deported to Uganda to face treason charges in a military court.
- 23 July 2024: Thirty-six members of Uganda’s Forum for Democratic Change were abducted in Kenya and deported to Uganda to face terrorism charges.
- 2024–2025: In Kenya, over 100 cases of forced disappearances have been documented, with some victims later found dead bearing signs of torture.
The mounting cases of cross-border abductions and enforced disappearances underscore a growing regional crisis of impunity. Unless East African governments commit to upholding the rule of law and protecting fundamental freedoms, the cycle of repression risks destabilising democratic governance and deepening mistrust between citizens and state institutions.
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