Two Kenyan activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, have reportedly been abducted in Uganda under unclear circumstances. According to opposition leader and National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential flagbearer Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), unidentified armed operatives seized the duo “mafia-style” on Wednesday afternoon from a petrol station in Kireka, Kampala, before driving them to an undisclosed location.
Bobi Wine, who is currently on the campaign trail ahead of Uganda’s 2026 general election, issued a strongly worded statement condemning the abductions. He accused Ugandan security agencies of operating outside the law, framing the incident as part of a broader crackdown on dissent and intimidation of his supporters.
Njagi and Oyoo had reportedly travelled to Uganda to accompany Bobi Wine during his campaign activities on October 1, 2025. Their whereabouts remain unknown, sparking urgent calls from human rights groups and political activists in both Uganda and Kenya for their immediate release.
This latest incident mirrors a disturbing trend of politically motivated abductions. In August 2024, Bob Njagi and fellow activist Aslam Longton were forcibly disappeared in Kenya and held incommunicado for 32 days, during which they allege they were tortured by state agents for their involvement in demonstrations against economic policies.
At the time, Njagi and Longton publicly described living under “constant fear of further enforced disappearances and persecution.” The current abduction of Njagi and Oyoo in Uganda has reignited concerns about cross-border repression and the growing risks faced by human rights defenders in East Africa.
As pressure mounts, activists are urging both the Kenyan and Ugandan governments to ensure the activists’ safe return and to end the practice of targeting individuals for their political affiliations.
