Wamuzi News Ke
Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, has accused security forces in Uganda of abducting two Kenyan activists for standing with him on the campaign trail. Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, members of the Free Kenya Movement, remain missing after what eyewitnesses describe as a mafia-style kidnapping.
The abductions took place Wednesday afternoon at a petrol station in Kireka, Kampala, where the pair had stopped to repair their vehicle. Four armed men forced them into a waiting van and sped off into an unknown destination. Their phones were immediately switched off. The incident, Bobi Wine says, is retaliation for their association with his opposition campaign.
WHY THEY WERE TARGETED: Bobi Wine’s Claim
According to Bobi Wine, Njagi and Oyoo were abducted simply for associating with him and expressing solidarity with his political movement during campaign activities in Buyende and Kamuli districts. He condemned their disappearance as part of a pattern of repression by what he called a “criminal regime determined to silence dissent.”
Bobi Wine asserts that the activists were not committing any political offence — their only “crime”, as he puts it, was being visible with him in a political space. “We demand that these brothers be released unconditionally,” he declared.
HOW IT UNFOLDED
- Njagi and Oyoo had driven into Uganda on September 29, 2025, accompanied by two Ugandan nationals. After reaching Kampala, the pair continued with the campaign team while the Ugandans left.
- While campaigning across Buyende and Kamuli with Bobi Wine’s team on Tuesday, they traveled publicly. On Wednesday, after stopping in Kampala, they were seized at a petrol station in Kireka. Eyewitnesses report four gunmen in a grey van, one woman among them, forcibly removed the activists from the station.
- The activist who was with them was detained briefly and later released. Soon after Njagi and Oyoo were taken, their phones were switched off. Since then, no official trace of them has been found.
A REGION ON EDGE: Patterns of Abduction
Human rights groups have pointed out that this isn’t an isolated incident. VOCAL Africa joined Bobi Wine in condemning the abductions, describing them as part of a growing climate of disappearances linked to political dissent in both Uganda and neighbouring countries.
Observers note similar cases: Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire were arrested in Tanzania in past months, allegedly for opposing abuses, before being released near border areas. Njagi himself was previously abducted during protests in Kenya, reportedly held for more than a month.
IMMEDIATE DEMANDS & WHAT’S NEXT
- Bobi Wine and activists demand unconditional release of Njagi and Oyoo, urging both Ugandan and Kenyan governments to intervene.
- Civil society organizations are calling for transparency: who ordered the abductions, which security agencies were involved, and what legal basis exists for such acts.
- Diplomatic channels may activate: Kenya is under pressure to issue statements, possibly even file legal or diplomatic inquiries about its nationals.
- The fate of Njagi and Oyoo remains unknown, with concerns about their safety and well-being intensifying.
