In brief
After five weeks of uncertainty, Kenyan activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo have been found safe in Uganda. Their rescue follows a campaign by human rights groups in response to their alleged abduction by armed men. The activists were seen supporting Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine when they were taken. Human rights organizations hailed their return as a pivotal moment for safeguarding civil liberties across East Africa.
Human rights groups in Kenya report that two activists who disappeared in neighboring Uganda five weeks ago have turned up alive and well. Eyewitnesses claimed to have seen Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo being forcibly taken into a car by masked uniformed men after a political event where they were supporting Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine.
On Saturday, the activist organization Vocal Africa confirmed the men are safe and being transported from Busia in Uganda to Nairobi, Kenya's capital. Let this moment signal an important shift towards upholding the human rights of East Africans anywhere in the East African Community, the organization stated on Instagram.
Despite Ugandan police denying any knowledge of their detention, Kenyan rights groups persistently lobbied Ugandan authorities for their release.
In a joint statement, Vocal Africa along with the Law Society of Kenya and Amnesty International expressed gratitude to the Kenyan and Ugandan governments, activists, journalists, diplomats, and citizens who campaigned tirelessly for their safe return.
Former pop star Bobi Wine, who is contesting in the upcoming presidential elections against long-serving President Yoweri Museveni, accused the Ugandan government of targeting the two Kenyans for their association with him.
This incident follows a pattern of alleged harassment of opposition activists in Uganda, where security agencies have faced criticism for their handling of dissent. Previous cases include abductions and subsequent detentions of critics without legal justification. Activists warn that the situation is igniting fears of a coordinated clampdown on dissent across East African nations.
