Abduction at a rally
Njagi Bob and Oyoo Nicholas, members of the Free Kenya Movement, were in Uganda to monitor a political campaign rally for opposition leader and presidential aspirant Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu (popularly known as Bobi Wine), who is running in the upcoming 2026 general elections.
On October 1, 2025, eyewitnesses reported seeing the two men being forcibly taken by masked men, some in uniform and others in civilian attire, and bundled into a Toyota Hiace van (often referred to as a “drone”) at a petrol station in Kaliro, eastern Uganda.
For weeks following their disappearance, Ugandan authorities, including the security agencies named in court petitions, officially denied holding the activists or having any knowledge of their whereabouts.
Lawyers for the activists filed a habeas corpus application with the Kampala High Court, seeking to compel security agencies, including the Chief of Defence Forces and the Inspector General of Police, to produce the men. The petition argued their detention was unconstitutional.
On October 22, 2025, the High Court dismissed the application, ruling that the two were simply “missing persons” and stated that there was no concrete evidence linking their disappearance to the Ugandan government. This ruling was heavily criticized by their lawyers and human rights groups.
The case quickly became a major diplomatic issue. The Kenyan government, through the Foreign Affairs Minister and Principal Secretary, mounted sustained diplomatic pressure on Kampala, including sending a formal letter (Note Verbale) demanding accountability.
The Release (November 8–10, 2025)
The two activists were released late on Friday, November 7, 2025 (confirmed publicly on Saturday, November 8) after 38 days in detention. They were handed over to Kenya’s High Commissioner in Uganda and escorted to the Busia border town.
In a live interview on Saturday evening, President Yoweri Museveni acknowledged their arrest for the first time, confirming they had been in detention. He stated the two men were “experts in riots” who had been put “in the fridge for some days.”
Museveni accused the activists of working with Bobi Wine’s group to plan and stoke up trouble in Uganda.
He also confirmed they were released after receiving calls from “some Kenyan leaders” who requested their handover.
Upon their return to Nairobi on Saturday, Njagi and Oyoo stated they were held in a military facility under “inhumane conditions” and were subjected to incommunicado detention and torture for their association with the Ugandan opposition.
Currently, Kenya’s Foreign Minister hailed the release as a success following “sustained diplomatic engagement.” The Law Society of Kenya welcomed the news but called for this moment to signal a shift towards upholding human rights across the East African Community.
Bobi Wine strongly condemned the abduction and detention, accusing the government of targeting anyone associated with him and questioning why the activists were not formally charged in court if they had committed an offense.
The incident was viewed by human rights defenders as part of a recurring pattern of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention used against political opponents and activists in Uganda, often involving non-uniformed or military security agents and the use of “drones.”
