Kenyan activist Bob Njagi, who was detained in Uganda alongside fellow activist Nicholas Oyoo for 38 days, has broken his silence on the inhumane conditions of their captivity particularly the so-called “fridge” where they were allegedly held.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Njagi described their ordeal as a crime against humanity, claiming the detentions were conducted under the authority of General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
According to Njagi, the detentions took place at the Special Forces Command Centre in Sarakasenyi, a facility used for training the Presidential Security Unit. “They call themselves Next To None because they don’t take commands from the Judiciary, Parliament, or even the Executive,” Njagi stated.
He further revealed that dozens of Ugandans remain unlawfully detained at the same facility. “When I left, there were over 150 detainees, many of whom had been held for months or even a year without trial. That’s what they call the fridge,” he added.
President Museveni Confirms Detention
President Museveni recently admitted that the two Kenyans had been detained by state officials, acknowledging during a UBC interview on November 8, 2025, that the pair had been “kept in a fridge for a few days.”
“Of course, with our very good intelligence, we picked them up and they have been in the fridge for some days. Some Kenyan leaders rang me and asked that I either jail them here or hand them back,” Museveni said.
The Ugandan leader further claimed that Njagi and Oyoo were part of opposition figure Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine’s) group, describing them as “experts in riots.”
38 Days in Captivity
Njagi and Oyoo were released on the night of Friday, November 7, 2025, and handed over to Kenyan authorities at the Busia border, ending 38 days of enforced disappearance since their abduction on October 1, 2025.
Their release followed weeks of pressure from human rights groups and diplomatic appeals from Kenya. Both the Ugandan police and military had repeatedly denied holding them, despite eyewitness accounts suggesting they were taken by armed officers near a petrol station in Kampala.
Njagi’s account has reignited debate over Uganda’s human rights record and raised serious concerns about the existence of secret detention facilities operating outside legal oversight.
