Kenyan human rights activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo have opened up about the harrowing experience that followed what was meant to be a routine trip to Uganda for business and social engagements. The two, who were held for 39 days by Ugandan security forces, shared their story during an interview on Citizen TV’s JKLive show on Wednesday night.
According to the pair, their visit was entirely above board. They said they had entered Uganda legally through the Busia border, with their passports duly stamped and a six-month visa granted. “We got in very well and started our business,” Oyoo recounted.
Oyoo, who also serves as the Secretary General of the Free Kenya Movement (FKM), clarified that their attendance at Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine’s manifesto launch was not politically motivated but rather a show of solidarity and friendship.
“We have business interests, family interests—those kinds of relationships. Our presence at the event was purely social, not political,” he said.
However, things took a dark turn just a day after their arrival. Njagi and Oyoo narrated how they were suddenly abducted by plainclothes security agents, blindfolded, and driven to an unknown location. For the next 39 days, they were detained at Kasenyi Military Barracks in Entebbe, enduring intense interrogations and isolation.
“We were kept incommunicado, denied access to our families, lawyers, or the Kenyan embassy. At some point, we thought we might never make it out alive,” Njagi revealed emotionally.
Their release came after sustained diplomatic pressure and public outcry from Kenyan civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and local activists who demanded their immediate freedom.
Upon their return to Kenya, the two expressed gratitude to those who stood with them during their ordeal, while calling for greater protection of activists operating within East Africa.
“Our experience is a wake-up call. Regional collaboration should not be criminalized. Human rights work does not stop at the border,” Oyoo emphasized.
As investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding their arrest, Njagi and Oyoo have vowed to continue their advocacy for freedom, democracy, and justice across the region.
