Wayne Lumbasi
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed that two Kenyan activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, were arrested and secretly detained in Uganda in a facility he referred to as “the fridge.” The two men went missing on October 1, 2025, after attending a political event supporting opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, in Kira Municipality. Witnesses say they were forcibly taken by masked security personnel, sparking immediate concern over their whereabouts.
For 38 days, Njagi and Oyoo remained in undisclosed custody, with Ugandan authorities denying knowledge of their detention. Museveni later admitted that the activists were picked up because, in his words, they were “experts in riots” allegedly working to provoke unrest in Uganda. He said they were held under strict surveillance in a military facility before being released to Kenyan authorities on November 8 following diplomatic intervention.
Upon their return, Njagi and Oyoo described their detention as harsh and humiliating, alleging starvation, psychological torment, and torture. Njagi said, “I didn’t eat for 14 days. We were tortured and kept in inhumane conditions.” Their ordeal has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups and sparked debate over the treatment of foreign nationals involved in activism.
This incident highlights growing concerns about freedom of expression, the protection of human rights, and the treatment of political opponents in East Africa. It also underscores the delicate balance within the East African Community, where the rights of citizens and activists intersect with national security claims. Regional observers are now calling for stronger safeguards to prevent such incidents in the future and to uphold the principles of political freedom and human dignity.
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