Uproar over state inaction as Njagi, Oyoo still missing

It has now been 29 agonising days since two Kenyan activists, Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi, were abducted in Uganda, reportedly by men in uniform, yet the Kenyan government has remained conspicuously silent.

Both members of the Free Kenya Movement were allegedly taken from Stabex Petrol Station in Kampala on October 1, 2025.

Since then, their whereabouts remain unknown, and repeated calls for action from the Kenyan authorities have gone unanswered.

Families and colleagues say they are growing increasingly desperate amid reports that the activist’s health is deteriorating.

The silence from top government officials, including President William Ruto and the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, has sparked outrage, with civil society groups accusing the Kenyan state of complicity or gross negligence.

“Despite repeated public calls for urgent action from the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and initial signs of due diligence, the continued silence and inaction from the Government of Kenya over the past two weeks is alarming, disturbing and unacceptable,” said Hussein Khalid, the Executive Director of Vocal Africa.

Khalid accused the government of failing its citizens, noting that informal sources suggest the two Kenyans have endured torture and inhuman treatment during detention, without access to consular, legal or medical services.

“We are under no illusion about who is holding them. Everyone knows that Oyoo and Njagi are being detained by the Ugandan government. We have absolutely no doubts about that,” he said.

Coordinated silence

He criticised what he described as a coordinated silence between the two governments, warning that such inaction could amount to complicity in human rights violations.

“When there is no action, we believe these two governments are working together to ensure this matter remains hidden. We are demanding that Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and his colleagues urgently provide Kenyans with proof of life for Njagi and Oyoo,” said Khalid.

Former Law Society of Kenya president Nelson Havi, speaking on Spice FM’s Situation Room, reminded both governments of their obligations under the East African Community Treaty.

“Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo hold East African passports, which allow them to travel freely across the region. If they are suspected of any crime, they should be arraigned before a Ugandan court,” he said.

Havi accused the Kenyan government of failing in its constitutional duty to protect citizens abroad.

“President William Ruto and Mudavadi appear reluctant to address the case of Njagi and Oyoo. We, the people of Kenya, are sovereign. The offices you hold are granted by our delegated power. Your position is not personal; it carries the duty to protect Kenyans,” he said.

According to Abner Mango, a member of the Law Society of Kenya public interest litigation committee, the Ugandan judiciary’s handling of the case was absurd and illogical.

Mang criticised a ruling delivered by Justice Peter Kimobe of Uganda’s High Court, which dismissed a habeas corpus application seeking to compel Ugandan authorities to produce the two Kenyans.

“The judge in the ruling held that the police and military had proven that they do not have them in their custody, despite having conducted searches within all police stations and military camps. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to see that that finding is a pure error in law,” said Mango. He described the ruling as pathetic and absurd, saying the Ugandan court had effectively encouraged impunity.

“The judge said that you cannot squeeze blood from a stone and urged the families to file missing persons reports with the same police who claim they do not have them. That is illogical,” he said. Mango said LSK is now considering escalating the case to the East African Court of Justice and potentially the International Criminal Court (ICC) if evidence of torture or extra-judicial action is established.

“Violations of these rights can amount to crimes against humanity, which can only be tried at the ICC. We will not give up. We shall keep pushing,” he said.

Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director Irungu Houghton said a worldwide campaign has been launched, allowing citizens to directly email Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, demanding the activists’ release.

“People can go to a microsite that allows them to email the Ugandan president. We are asking Kenyans, East Africans and the world to write to President Museveni calling for the immediate release of Bob and Oyoo,” said Houghton.

Free Kenya Movement national coordinator Felix Wambua said they were losing patience, demanding that the government take responsibility for the safety of its citizens.