Uganda Military Denies Holding Kenyan Activists

The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) has officially denied having Kenyan activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo in their custody. This denial was made in a sworn statement filed in the High Court of Uganda on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, by Colonel Silas Kamanda, a Director at the UPDF's Joint Staff Legal Services. The statement asserted that exhaustive checks of all detention facilities, records, and registers found no entry relating to the two Kenyan nationals since their disappearance on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.

Njagi, chairman of the Free Kenya Movement, and Oyoo, the group's secretary general, were reportedly abducted by armed men in military and civilian clothing at a petrol station in Kaliro District, Eastern Uganda, after attending a political campaign rally for opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu, also known as Bobi Wine.

Legal and Diplomatic Pressure Mounts

The UPDF's denial comes amidst mounting pressure from civil society groups, diplomatic efforts by the Kenyan government, and legal interventions in Kampala. On Tuesday, October 14, 2025, Justice Simon Peter Kinobe of the Kampala High Court had ordered the Ugandan government to produce Njagi and Oyoo, dead or alive, within seven days, a deadline that expired on Monday, October 21, 2025.

Lawyers Eron Kiiza and Kato Tumusiime, representing Njagi and Oyoo, filed a habeas corpus application seeking to compel various Ugandan security agencies, including the Chief of Defence Forces, the Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security, the Inspector General of Police, and the Attorney General, to release the activists.

The Kenyan government, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has also engaged diplomatic channels, with Kenya's High Commissioner to Uganda, Ambassador Joash Maangi, meeting Uganda's Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Vincent Waiswa to discuss the alleged abduction.

Concerns Over Enforced Disappearances and Regional Implications

Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International Kenya, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and Vocal Africa, have launched a global letter-writing campaign urging Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to disclose the activists' whereabouts and ensure their safe release.

The disappearance of Njagi and Oyoo is viewed by observers as part of a broader pattern of transnational repression in East Africa, raising alarms about coordinated efforts to silence dissent in the region. This incident also highlights the shrinking civic space in East Africa and renewed threats to cross-border activism.

This is not the first time Bob Njagi has been a victim of enforced disappearance; he was reportedly forcibly disappeared and tortured for a month in August 2024 after participating in anti-government protests in Kenya. Other similar cases in the region include the detention of Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye in Nairobi last year, who later surfaced in a military court in Uganda, and the detention of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan counterpart Agatha Otuker in Tanzania earlier this year.

Unanswered Questions and Next Steps

Despite the UPDF's denial, the whereabouts of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo remain unknown, nearly three weeks after their alleged abduction. The High Court of Uganda is expected to deliver a ruling on the habeas corpus case on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 8:00 AM EAT.

The families of the missing activists continue to live in anguish and uncertainty, with relatives like Eldie Oyoo-Ojuando, a lawyer representing Oyoo's family, emphasising that their brothers travelled to Uganda legally and are only seeking their safe return.

Evidence/Data Box

• Date of Disappearance: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
• Location of Abduction: Petrol station in Kaliro District, Eastern Uganda (near Kireka, Kampala)
• Court Order Issued: Tuesday, October 14, 2025, by Justice Simon Peter Kinobe, High Court of Uganda, to produce activists within seven days.
• UPDF Denial Filed: Tuesday, October 21, 2025.
• Organisations Involved: Free Kenya Movement, Amnesty International Kenya, Law Society of Kenya, Vocal Africa, Freedom Hive Uganda.

What to Watch

The upcoming court ruling on Thursday, October 23, 2025, will be crucial in determining the immediate legal recourse for the missing activists. The ongoing international campaign and diplomatic pressure will also be key in compelling Ugandan authorities to provide concrete answers regarding Njagi and Oyoo's fate. The case continues to serve as a significant test for human rights protection and cross-border cooperation within the East African Community.