38 days of torture: Kenyan activists Njagi and Oyoo, abducted at gunpoint in Uganda, tell harrowing story
Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo describe being abducted, held in a freezer, denied family contact, and subjected to starvation and torture during a 38-day detention in Uganda.
Kenyan activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo have revealed that they were abducted in Uganda just two days after arriving for a short visit, despite holding valid visas and legal permission to be in the country.
The activists, who were in Uganda for business and family matters, shared their ordeal during an interview on Citizen TV.
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The pair said they had planned to stay at least a week, tour Uganda, and return to Kenya.
Oyoo explained that while in Uganda, they learned that opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, was launching his manifesto, and they attended the event in solidarity.
“We didn’t expect this turn of events; it was to be a 4–5 day trip, then we would come back,” he said.
The activists recounted that their abduction occurred after their car broke down and they spent the night at Stabex Uganda. The following morning, two individuals approached Njagi and started talking to him. Almost immediately, a vehicle arrived carrying about eight fully armed men who surrounded them and forced them into the vehicle.
Njagi emphasised that he had not spoken at the rally nor worn any opposition regalia, saying he was simply participating to understand the concerns of Ugandans. He questioned why other Kenyan politicians and activists, such as Martha Karua and President William Ruto, are not targeted when engaging in solidarity or cross-border campaigns.
Held in a “fridge”
The activists described being held in what President Museveni had referred to as a “fridge,” which Njagi clarified was more accurately a freezer. They said detainees were isolated from society, denied contact with family, and unable to access the courts, effectively freezing their lives for extended periods.
Njagi and Oyoo alleged that a militia operating from Sera Kasenyi, a Special Forces Command facility in Entebbe, carried out the arrests under orders from General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, sometimes without direct presidential oversight.
Beans and ugali
The activists said they survived on beans and ugali during their 38-day detention, endured physical and psychological torture, and witnessed another detainee having his teeth removed.
They drew parallels to similar cases in Uganda and Tanzania, including opposition leaders Kizza Besigye and Tundu Lissu, and criticised Kenya’s delayed response to their detentions.
Upon release, Njagi and Oyoo were escorted from Kampala to Busia in a military convoy by Kenya’s ambassador.
The activists said they will pursue legal action, sending a strong message that Kenyan citizens will not stand by as political activists are abducted and oppressed across the region.
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