Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, widely known as Bobi Wine, has condemned President Yoweri Museveni’s administration after it failed to produce two abducted Kenyan activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo in court, despite a judicial order demanding their appearance.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, Bobi Wine accused the Ugandan government of gross human rights violations and defying the rule of law.
“Like it did with comrade Sam Mugumya, whom it abducted two months ago and who remains missing, the shameless Museveni regime has also denied holding our Kenyan comrades Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo,” he wrote.
The two activists, Njagi, the Free Kenya Movement chairperson, and Oyoo, the group’s secretary-general, were reportedly abducted on October 1, 2025, while attending a National Unity Platform (NUP) rally in Kampala. Witnesses claim they were seized by plain-clothed security operatives, and they have not been seen since.
Although the Ugandan government has denied knowledge of their whereabouts, the High Court in Kampala had ordered authorities to produce the activists in court. When the state failed to comply, the court postponed the hearing to October 22, demanding a written explanation for their continued disappearance.
Bobi Wine denounced the government’s defiance of court orders, saying the regime had abandoned its founding promises.
“A regime that came to power 40 years ago, promising to end human rights violations, is now committing even worse atrocities. We must end this impunity once and for all,” he declared.
Regional and International Outcry
The disappearance of the two Kenyans has triggered widespread outrage across East Africa. In Kenya, civil society organisations including the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Defenders Coalition have staged protests outside the Ugandan High Commission in Nairobi, demanding answers.
Regional advocacy groups such as Kongamano La Mapinduzi, the 6.25 Movement, Vocal Africa, and the NUP Kenya Chapter have also joined calls for the activists’ immediate release.
Amnesty International Kenya has launched a petition urging President Museveni to reveal the activists’ whereabouts, guarantee their safety, and facilitate their return to Kenya.
“Every moment without answers deepens the pain, the worry, and the injustice,” Amnesty said in its statement.
Legal Push for Accountability
On October 6, Ugandan human rights lawyers Eron Kiiza and Kato Tumusiime filed a habeas corpus application in the High Court Civil Division, compelling the state to account for Njagi and Oyoo’s detention. The Chief of Defence Forces, Chief of Defence Intelligence, Inspector-General of Police, and Attorney General were all named as respondents.
Despite these legal efforts, the government remains silent deepening fears of state-sanctioned enforced disappearances.
Bobi Wine warned that the abductions reflect a growing threat to democracy and civil liberties across the region.
“Today, it is our Kenyan brothers. Tomorrow, it could be anyone who dares to speak truth to power,” he cautioned.
