NAIROBI, KENYA – Serious allegations that Ugandan soldiers were secretly deployed in Kenyan police uniforms to violently suppress the 2024 ‘Gen Z’ protests have rocked the nation, placing intense scrutiny on the security partnership between Kenya and Uganda. The claims were made public by Kenyan activist Bob Njagi following his release after 38 days in Ugandan military detention.

Speaking on Citizen TV on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Njagi stated that during his detention at a Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) facility, several Ugandan soldiers confessed to him their involvement in quelling the Kenyan demonstrations. “One shocking revelation is that... some soldiers... revealed to me that they participated in the 2024 Gen-Z protest in Kenya, that they were actually moved from Uganda as military, dressed in Kenyan police uniform, to come and quell the riots in Kenya,” Njagi said. He described the alleged operation as a “collaboration between states” to suppress dissent across East Africa.

Njagi, alongside fellow activist Nicholas Oyoo, was reportedly abducted in Uganda on October 1, 2025. Their disappearance triggered a habeas corpus case in Uganda's high court, during which the UPDF initially denied holding the men. However, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni later confirmed their arrest, stating they were “experts in riots” working with local opposition figures. The two were released on November 7, 2025.

As of Thursday, November 13, 2025, both the Kenyan Ministry of Defence and the UPDF spokesperson have not issued a formal statement responding to these specific allegations. This silence has fueled public concern and widespread calls for an independent investigation into the claims, which, if verified, would constitute a grave violation of Kenya’s sovereignty and international law.

Context: The Gen Z Protests and State Response

The allegations concern the youth-led ‘Gen Z’ protests that swept across Kenya in mid-2024. The demonstrations were initially sparked by widespread opposition to the controversial Finance Bill 2024, which proposed significant tax hikes on basic commodities and services amid a severe cost-of-living crisis. Using digital platforms like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), young Kenyans organized decentralized and largely peaceful protests under the hashtag #RejectFinanceBill2024.

The protests escalated dramatically on June 25, 2024, when demonstrators breached the security perimeter of the Parliament buildings in Nairobi, leading to violent clashes with security forces. The state’s response was severe, involving the use of live ammunition, tear gas, and water cannons. Human rights organizations reported dozens of fatalities and hundreds of injuries. Amnesty International Kenya documented at least 60 deaths and over 600 arbitrary arrests between June and August 2024. In response to the escalating unrest, Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale gazetted the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to support the National Police Service, a move President William Ruto termed a necessary response to a “treasonous” event.

Kenya-Uganda Security Cooperation

Kenya and Uganda maintain a close security relationship formalized by a Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in April 2022. This framework facilitates collaboration on mutual threats, including terrorism, cybercrime, and cross-border crime, through intelligence sharing and joint training. In January 2025, military leaders from both nations met to deepen this collaboration.

However, the existing agreements are understood to focus on external threats and regional stability, not the deployment of one country's military for internal law enforcement within the other. The Kenyan Constitution strictly governs the deployment of foreign forces on its soil, typically requiring parliamentary approval. Njagi’s allegations, therefore, raise profound legal and constitutional questions.

This is not the first time claims of UPDF presence during Kenyan unrest have surfaced. In 2017, the UPDF formally refuted reports that its troops were on standby to intervene in post-election violence, calling the allegations “false, alarmist and misleading.” Similarly, fact-checking organizations debunked social media posts in June 2024 that used old photos of UPDF troops in the DRC to falsely claim they were being sent to Kenya.

Calls for Investigation Amid Disinformation Concerns

Human rights groups and civil society are demanding a thorough and impartial investigation into Njagi's claims. The allegations emerge in a climate of distrust following documented abuses by Kenyan security forces during the protests, including excessive force and enforced disappearances. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly called for accountability for these actions.

While Njagi’s account is detailed, it currently relies on alleged confessions from his captors, and no independent evidence has been presented. Security analysts caution that verifying such claims is exceptionally difficult and stress the need to distinguish credible intelligence from the disinformation that often circulates during periods of civil unrest. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REQUIRED.