LSK, Amnesty, and Vocal Africa Condemn Abduction of Kenyan Activists in Uganda, Issue Demands
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Amnesty International and Vocal Africa have expressed alarm over the abduction of Kenyan activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo in Uganda, whose whereabouts are still unknown 24 hours later.
In a joint statement released yesterday, October 2, the organizations strongly condemned the disappearance, calling it a gross violation of human rights. The two were picked on Wednesday in Kampala while participating in political activities related to opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine.
The three organizations outlined four demands to the Ugandan authorities:
- Reveal the activists’ location.
- Guarantee their safety, well-being and release.
- Access to legal representation and family communication.
- Investigate the abduction and hold those responsible accountable.
They also urged Kampala and Nairobi to respect the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association enshrined in international human rights law.
“The Law Society of Kenya, Vocal Africa and Amnesty International Kenya will continue to fight for the protection and release of Bob Njagi, Nicholas Oyoo, their families and all East Africans being repressed,” the statement concluded.
Cross-border activism under threat
The activists had crossed into Uganda on September 29 to express solidarity with Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) ahead of the 2026 presidential election. They were last seen in public at campaign rallies in Buyende and Kamuli districts before being ambushed in Kampala.
Witnesses said the abduction occurred in broad daylight at a petrol station in Kireka where armed men believed to be Ugandan security operatives forced them into a vehicle. Their phones were switched off and their location is unknown.
Bobi Wine accused the government of orchestrating the kidnapping to silence dissent.
“The criminal regime has abducted them simply for associating with me and expressing solidarity with our cause,” he wrote on social media, condemning what he called “lawlessness by the rogue regime.”
Pattern of disappearances
The statement noted that a third activist was briefly detained before being released, and that the incident fits into a worrying trend of enforced disappearances of activists across East Africa.Njagi has faced abductions and harassment before. In August 2024, he and two others were forcibly disappeared in Kenya for over a month after participating in protests against economic policies. During that time they were tortured and released without charge.
Rights groups now say his re-abduction in Uganda is a dangerous escalation of state linked repression to silence voices demanding justice and accountability.
The organizations have also asked the Kenyan government to engage directly with Uganda to get the activists released and not criminalize political solidarity across borders.
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LSK, Amnesty, and Vocal Africa Condemn Abduction of Kenyan Activists in Uganda, Issue Demands