Kampala: Two Kenyan activists, Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi, who were abducted last month while attending an opposition rally in Uganda, have been released, as confirmed by human rights groups on Saturday. The activists were supporting Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine in his campaign against President Yoweri Museveni in the upcoming elections.
According to Deutsche Welle, Oyoo and Njagi were freed on Friday night in Busia, Kenya, after being missing for over a month. Human rights groups, including Amnesty Kenya, Vocal Africa, and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), expressed relief over their release and announced plans for their transfer to Nairobi. The groups emphasized that this moment should signal a shift towards upholding human rights across the East African Community.
Reports from the Kenyan daily, the Daily Nation, indicated that diplomatic efforts by the Kenyan government played a significant role in securing the activists' release. A government official confirmed that the men are now back in Kenya and have reunited with their families. Nobert Ochieng, Oyoo's older brother, described their freedom as a "big relief" after a challenging month.
The activists were reportedly abducted by armed men at a petrol station in Kira town, near Kampala, on October 1. Following their disappearance, attempts to contact them were unsuccessful. Witnesses cited by Hussein Khalid, Vocal Africa's executive director, claimed that masked and armed men, likely with state ties, were involved in the abduction. Despite denials from Ugandan police, Bobi Wine stated on social media that the activists were held at a military barracks in Entebbe, notorious for unlawful detentions.
The Kenyan Foreign Ministry had addressed the issue with the Ugandan government, seeking information on the men's whereabouts after receiving no formal responses to diplomatic inquiries.
This incident highlights the increasing issue of transnational kidnappings in East Africa, where political activists and critics are often targeted and unlawfully detained across borders. Recent cases, including those of activists Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire, underline the urgent need for accountability and stronger human rights protections in the region.