Activists Njagi and Oyoo Freed After 38 Days in Ugandan Custody
He praised the joint efforts of local and international actors in facilitating the negotiations that culminated in the handover of the activists.
Kenyan activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo arrive at the Busia border after being released by Ugandan authorities. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
Two Kenyan activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, were released by Ugandan authorities 38 days after they mysteriously vanished while in Uganda. Their release had been made possible through cooperation between Ugandan officials, humanitarian organizations, and the Kenyan Embassy in Kampala.
Reports indicate the two were handed over to Kenyan officials at about 1:00 AM at the Busia border, where they were received by Busia County Commissioner Chaunga Mwachaunga. The activists were later escorted to Kisumu, where they recorded official statements before arrangements were made for their transportation to Nairobi.
According to reports, both Njagi and Oyoo had stabilized in hospitals despite looking weak and emaciated after their lengthy detention. They have since reached out to their families through Vocal Africa and Amnesty International, both of which played major roles in advocating for their safety and release.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei confirmed the duo’s freedom. He praised the joint efforts of local and international actors in facilitating the negotiations that culminated in the handover of the activists.
“Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo are free and safely back on Kenyan soil. After extensive discussions, they were released to our High Commissioner in Uganda, Joash Maangi, and escorted to the Busia border by Ugandan officials,” said Sing’Oei.
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“We would like to express our thanks to everyone who intervened and made this positive outcome possible. A fuller statement will follow when all facts have been ascertained.”
Their release marks the end of weeks of diplomatic tension and public pressure by human rights groups who called for answers from Uganda over where the activists had been held.
Njagi and Oyoo disappeared under unclear circumstances on October 1, 2025, when they were in the company of Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine’s campaign team in the Buyende and Kamuli districts. Their disappearance sparked outrage in both Kenya and Uganda, as activists accused security agencies of abduction.
In the weeks after their disappearance, Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi formally wrote to Ugandan authorities seeking information about the incident, which was reportedly never answered.
“It is indeed distressing that close to a month has elapsed since our first letter, yet we have not received even a formal response from the Ugandan government regarding the safety of our citizens,” Mudavadi observed in the diplomatic letter dated late October.
The situation escalated when the Ugandan High Court threw out a habeas corpus application that sought to force the security agencies to produce the two activists before court. The petitioners accused police of holding Njagi and Oyoo in a military facility because of their association with Bobi Wine’s political campaign. Their safe return now brings relief to their families and the wider human rights community, which had relentlessly campaigned for their release and accountability over their detention.
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