EXPLAINER: What we know so far about Kenyan activists who went missing in Uganda

The whereabouts of two Kenyan human rights defenders remain unknown nearly two weeks after their reported abduction in Kampala, Uganda, in a case that has triggered regional and international concern.

Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi, both well-known Kenyan human rights activists, were reportedly abducted on October 1, 2025, shortly after attending a campaign rally organised by Ugandan opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine.

The pair had travelled to Uganda to participate in a consultative meeting with Wine and members of the National Unity Platform (NUP).

According to eyewitness accounts, the activists were seized by armed men around the Kireka area of Kampala and forced into a waiting vehicle.

The abductors swiftly switched off the activists' phones, and their current location remains a mystery.

A witness who was with them during the abduction—and who was also briefly detained before being released—confirmed the circumstances of the disappearance.

"They were forced into the vehicle at gunpoint. Everything happened so fast. We haven't heard anything since," the source recounted.

The Ugandan police have denied holding the two Kenyans in custody or having any knowledge of their disappearance.

In a security briefing held on October 6, Uganda Police Spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke stated: “If I had any information on the whereabouts of the two activists, I would present it here without any reservation.” He added, “I also do not know whether it has been reported formally whether they are lost persons. I do not have that information.”

These statements have done little to reassure critics, who believe the silence from the Ugandan state points to a wider pattern of political repression and state-sanctioned intimidation of dissenting voices.

Wine has come out strongly against what he described as the “mafia-style” abduction of the Kenyan activists.

"We condemn the continuing lawlessness by the rogue regime and demand that these brothers are released unconditionally!" Wine posted on X. "The criminal regime apparently abducted them simply for associating with me and expressing solidarity with our cause!"

Wine is preparing to challenge long-serving President Yoweri Museveni in the upcoming 2026 general elections.

Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, is seeking to extend his grip on power amid growing internal and external scrutiny over his administration's human rights record.

The disappearance of Njagi and Oyoo has struck a nerve across East Africa and beyond. Human rights watchdogs, diplomatic missions, and global advocacy groups are calling for urgent action and transparency.

In Kenya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that its mission in Kampala is actively pursuing the matter with Ugandan authorities.

In a statement on X, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei said: “On the matter of two Kenyans missing in Kampala, our Mission in Uganda is actively engaging authorities. We shall provide information as it becomes available.”

The Kenyan High Commission in Kampala issued a formal diplomatic note to Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressing serious concern over the disappearance.

“The High Commission of the Republic of Kenya in Kampala presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda and has the honour to draw the attention of the esteemed Ministry to information that two Kenyan nationals, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, were allegedly abducted by armed men around Kireka area, Kampala, on Wednesday 1st October, 2025 and their whereabouts remain unknown,” the note read.

The commission further requested Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to liaise with the relevant security authorities in Kampala to provide clarity and facilitate efforts to secure the safe release and return of the two men.

Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda, Joash Maangi, has since met with Uganda's Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Vincent Waiswa to address the matter directly.

International concern has also mounted. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, issued a sharp statement condemning the incident.

“I am deeply disturbed by the continued disappearance of the two Kenyans,” she said, urging the Ugandan government to immediately investigate and disclose their whereabouts.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) echoed Lawlor’s sentiments and joined the growing call for accountability. “KHRC endorses this statement by Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, and reiterates that the Uganda regime must free Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo,” the organisation posted online.

Back in Kenya, outrage is also building within the legal and civil society community. In a joint open letter to the Ugandan High Commission, the Law Society of Kenya, Amnesty International Kenya, and Vocal Africa condemned the abduction.

The organisations described the incident as “yet another alarming case in a pattern of abductions and enforced disappearances” and demanded immediate action from Ugandan authorities.

Despite these mounting calls, the Ugandan government has yet to issue a substantive official statement regarding the incident or the fate of the two missing activists. 

For many observers, the case highlights a disturbing trend of shrinking civic space in the East African region, where state responses to political dissent are increasingly marked by arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and intimidation.

There are also rising fears for the safety of Njagi and Oyoo, whose disappearance has become emblematic of the dangers facing civil society actors across the region.