KAMPALA, UGANDA — Tension gripped regional activist circles on Wednesday, October 1, after two prominent Kenyan human rights defenders, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, were allegedly abducted in Kampala by men believed to be Ugandan security operatives.
The duo, members of the Free Kenya Movement, had crossed into Uganda on Monday, September 29, by road, alongside two Ugandan colleagues, before linking up with National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, in his presidential campaign trail.
Witnesses confirmed spotting Njagi and Oyoo on Tuesday, September 30, actively accompanying Bobi Wine and NUP leaders across Buyende and Kamuli districts, cheering alongside crowds demanding an end to President Yoweri Museveni’s nearly four-decade rule.
But the campaign trail turned tragic. According to eyewitness accounts, the two Kenyans stopped at a petrol station to fix a mechanical problem when four armed men in plain clothes stormed the scene.
“They were bundled into a waiting vehicle at gunpoint. One of their companions escaped by sheer luck. Within minutes, the vehicle sped away, and their phones went off,” an eyewitness told local reporters.
The brazen daylight abduction has raised alarm across activist and diplomatic circles, with fears the duo were targeted for their association with Bobi Wine, who remains Museveni’s fiercest challenger in the 2026 elections.
Activist networks cry foul
In Nairobi, rights group VOCAL Africa issued a strongly-worded statement, condemning the incident and demanding the activists’ immediate release.
“Reports confirm that activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo were abducted in Kampala while attending Bobi Wine’s campaign. VOCAL Africa strongly condemns the abduction and demands their unconditional release,” the statement read.
The Free Kenya Movement, to which the two belong, has in recent months been vocal in supporting pro-democracy struggles across East Africa, often clashing with authorities accused of cross-border repression.
Pattern of cross-border crackdowns
The incident is the latest in a disturbing trend of Kenyan activists being targeted while on foreign soil. In May this year, celebrated activist Boniface Mwangi resurfaced in Ukunda, Kenya, after being detained and deported from Tanzania under unclear circumstances.
Mwangi had travelled to Dar es Salaam to observe court proceedings of opposition figure Tundu Lissu, only to later claim that his life was in danger after armed men surrounded his hotel room. He was eventually deported by road and abandoned at the Kenyan coast.
Observers say Njagi and Oyoo’s case bears chilling similarities, pointing to a regional pattern where outspoken dissidents risk harassment, abduction, or forced deportation under the guise of security operations.
Uganda yet to respond
As of Thursday morning, Ugandan authorities had not issued an official statement on the alleged abduction. Calls to police spokesperson Fred Enanga went unanswered, while NUP officials accused the government of orchestrating “a climate of fear” against opposition allies.
Bobi Wine, in a late-night social media post, expressed outrage:
“Our brothers from Kenya, Njagi and Oyoo, have been violently taken by armed men in Kampala. This is the reality of Museveni’s Uganda — abductions, intimidation, and fear. But we shall not be silenced.”
Diplomatic test for Kenya
The abduction now places Nairobi in a delicate position, with civil society urging the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs to demand answers from Kampala.
Human rights lawyer Martha Wanjala warned that failure to act decisively could embolden authoritarian regimes across East Africa to target Kenyan citizens with impunity.
“If Njagi and Oyoo are not rescued swiftly, it will signal to every repressive government that Kenyan activists are fair game. Nairobi must treat this as a matter of national urgency,” Wanjala told The Daily Nation.
As fears mount over their safety, families of the two activists remain in anguish, clinging to the hope that international pressure will force their release.
For now, the fate of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo remains unknown — a grim reminder of the growing dangers faced by democracy activists across the East African region.
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