Activists petition Parliament to summon PS Sing’Oei over abducted Kenyans in Uganda
They are urging the National Assembly to investigate the circumstances that led to the arrest and abduction of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, determine their current whereabouts and condition and engage relevant officials to secure their unconditional release.
The National Assembly has now been petitioned to summon Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei to explain the government’s efforts to secure the release of activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who were abducted in Uganda thirty-five days ago.
The petitioners, under the Free Movement Kenya, want PS Sing’Oei to appear before Parliament and detail the steps the government is taking to secure the release of the two.
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“That on several occasions, we together with the family of the two have written to the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and had an opportunity to meet with the PS for the State Department of Foreign Affairs, Dr Korir Sing’Oei, who promised to address the matter. Regrettably, all these efforts have not borne any fruit,” Free Movement Kenya, National Coordinator Felix Wambua said in the petition.
Wambua was accompanied by J. Habuba and Julius Mogori when they presented the petition to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Samuel Njoroge.
The petition states that eyewitness accounts and statements from Amnesty International Kenya, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and other civil society organisations suggest the abduction was politically motivated.
“That, their whereabouts remain unknown and they are believed to be held incommunicado in military detention facilities in Uganda such as Nalufenya or the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI),” it adds.
The petitioners emphasised that the matter is not pending before any court or constitutional body, making a Parliamentary inquiry essential.
They are urging the National Assembly to investigate the circumstances that led to the arrest and abduction of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, determine their current whereabouts and condition and engage relevant officials to secure their unconditional release.
They also want the Assembly to recommend measures to protect Kenyan citizens abroad, hold the Foreign Affairs Ministry accountable, and condemn violations of international human rights laws, while calling for regional mechanisms to prevent future abductions of human rights defenders.
The petition further highlights concerns over the deteriorating health of the two activists.
A habeas corpus petition filed in Uganda by local lawyers failed when High Court Judge Simon Peter Kinobe dismissed the case, ruling that the Ugandan authorities could not produce individuals not registered in any gazetted police station.
“Uganda cannot produce what it does not have since the two are not recorded in any gazetted police station in the country,” Justice Kinobe ruled.
Habuba condemned what he called the growing dictatorial tendencies in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
“We are witnessing growing dictatorial regimes in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda,” he said.
Wambua appealed to Speaker Moses Wetang’ula to prioritise the petition, stressing the emotional and physical toll on the families.
“We beseech the Speaker to give this matter priority once he receives it, considering the families have been suffering for over a month now,” he said.
2022 presidential aspirant Reuben Kigame condemned the rising human rights abuses in Kenya and the East African region, criticising the government for its silence on the two abducted activists.
“Kenya is not a free society; we have reverted to the time when the media was not free and critics were being tortured. We are coming from a time when the Gen Zs were being abducted, including those being held in Uganda now, my friend Bob Njagi,” he said during an interview with a local TV station.
Kigame, who confirmed personal acquaintance with Njagi and Oyoo, accused the government of failing to protect its citizens and remaining silent on their plight.
“He (Njagi) was abducted by the Ruto administration for demanding accountability. They are being held incommunicado in Uganda. The Kenyan foreign office has said absolutely nothing. When Mutunga and Karua were arrested, the Kenyan foreign office said nothing. You can see the trend going on. It is why Ruto and Museveni are congratulating Samia,” he said.
Kigame called for strict adherence to constitutional principles.
“We must uphold constitutionalism. The document is the one that guarantees order and justice in society. I have worked with various institutions that advocate for the rule of law and adherence to the constitution, and if given a chance to lead by Kenyans, I will prioritise that,” he said, referencing his past work with institutions such as Linda Katiba.
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