Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has verified that two Kenyan activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, were apprehended and detained by Ugandan security forces.The activists had been missing for over five weeks, igniting widespread indignation among human rights organizations and political analysts throughout East Africa.
They were last spotted in October, allegedly forced into a vehicle by masked individuals following their attendance at a rally supporting opposition figure Bobi Wine, as reported by the BBC. Museveni Acknowledges DetentionIn a televised interview on Saturday, Museveni conceded that the men were in custody, labeling them as “specialists in riots” who were “kept in the fridge for several days.”
The president charged them with meddling in Uganda’s domestic matters and cautioned against external interference in regional discord. “Those engaging in that practice here in Uganda will ultimately face consequences,” he stated. The longstanding leader, who has governed Uganda for nearly forty years and intends to seek re-election next year, mentioned that the activists were set free after appeals from unnamed Kenyan officials.
Njagi and Oyoo received a warm welcome from enthusiastic supporters at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Njagi articulated their ordeal as harrowing, saying, “Thirty-eight days of abduction was not easy. We didn’t believe we would emerge alive because we were being taken by the military.”
Kenya’s Foreign Minister, Musalia Mudavadi, confirmed that their release followed “consistent diplomatic efforts between Kenya and Uganda.” The human rights organization Vocal Africa hailed their liberation as a triumph for civic engagement and regional unity.“ Let this moment mark a significant transition towards maintaining the human rights of East Africans throughout the East African Community,” the group remarked.