Families seek help from KNCHR to trace Kenyan activists abducted in Uganda
On Tuesday, the families, accompanied by activists, visited the KNCHR offices in Nairobi to file official statements regarding the disappearance.
Relatives of Kenyan activists abducted in Kampala have raised alarm over what they describe as a slow and unclear response from both Kenyan and Ugandan authorities, a week after the two went missing.
Families of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo are now seeking the intervention of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), hoping it will push for concrete action to trace them.
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On Tuesday, the families, accompanied by activists, visited the KNCHR offices in Nairobi to file official statements regarding the disappearance.
Their visit follows days of mounting anxiety and fruitless diplomatic exchanges between Nairobi and Kampala.
Oyoo’s relatives, together with activist Koffi Atinda, who managed to evade the abduction, shared their accounts with KNCHR officials and expressed disappointment at the slow pace of the investigation.
“They have promised to follow up with their counterparts in Uganda. We are hopeful that it will happen. We are still awaiting feedback from the Ministry. We met the PS last evening, but we feel that it is still dragging," said Nobert Ochieng, Oyoo’s brother.
Ochieng spoke about the emotional toll the disappearance has had on their families, particularly their ageing parents.
“My mum is not very young, 74 years old, and has not been very well. I have also received reports that Bob’s mum, who was in hospital before the incident, has gotten worse because of the incident," Oyoo lamented.
Elsie Oyoo, another family member, urged authorities to uphold due process.
“So that we can respect the rule of law, we would like for Nicholas and Bob to return. Bring them back, and if there is a problem, take them to court.”
The families’ frustration has been compounded by the lack of progress through official channels, with Ugandan police insisting that the two are not in their custody. Human rights groups have questioned whether both governments are fully committed to resolving the matter.
“It is high time that the two countries read from the same script, and we be told the truth and the way forward," stated lawyer John Maina.
Meanwhile, a habeas corpus case filed in Uganda is set to be heard on October 14. The petition seeks to compel top security officers in Uganda to produce the two activists in court and explain their whereabouts.
Uganda Police Spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke maintained that he had no information linking the activists to police custody.
“Kenyan activists who came to join a rally in Uganda and are alleged to have disappeared - I am not briefed by the police that they have them in our custody,” Rusoke said.
“At the moment, I don’t have any information to the effect that they are in police custody, nor do I have any information that they are accused by the police. If I had, I would volunteer it here without any reservation.”
As the court date approaches, families remain in limbo, anxiously awaiting answers and concrete action from both sides.
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