Kenya has formally protested to Uganda the abduction of two Kenyans in Kampala this week, deepening regional unease over cross-border disappearances involving political activists and citizens.
The two activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, affiliated with the Free Kenya Movement, were reportedly seized by armed individuals believed to be Ugandan security operatives.
They were participating in the campaign trail of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine.
In a diplomatic note dated October 3, 2025, the Kenya High Commission in Kampala informed Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Bob Njagiand Nicholas Oyoo were abducted by armed men on Wednesday, October 1, around the Kireka area of Kampala. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
“The Mission requests the Ministry’s assistance in liaising with the relevant authorities in Kampala to obtain information regarding the current situation of the missing Kenyans in order for the Mission to take appropriate action in securing their release and safe return to Kenya,” the note verbale reads in part.
The letter, addressed to Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Kenyan government had received the information through a letter from Vocal Africa, a civic organization based in Nairobi, and that families of the two Kenyans had raised alarm over their disappearance.
In reaction to the protest note, VOCAL Africa said it will continue to follow up both in Kenya and Uganda until the state of the two activists is confirmed
The High Commission urged Uganda to assist in tracing the two men, even as concern grows over the safety of citizens across East Africa.
The development comes barely months after Kenyan and Ugandan activists were abducted in Tanzania, in what human rights groups described as a worrying trend of cross-border crackdowns targeting outspoken citizens.
Boniface Mwangi of Kenya and Agather Atuhaire of Uganda said they were detained and tortured by Tanzania security personnel and later dumped at the respective borders with Tanzania. In those incidents, Tanzanian authorities initially denied knowledge of the arrests before quietly releasing some of the detainees following diplomatic interventions.
It also follows the dramatic incident last year in which Ugandan opposition figure Dr. Kizza Besigye was abducted in Kenya before being returned to Uganda under unclear circumstances. The move sparked criticism from regional civil society groups, who accused East African governments of undermining freedom of movement and due process within the bloc.
Diplomatic observers say the latest episode could test relations between Nairobi and Kampala, which have largely remained cordial despite intermittent disputes over trade and security matters. Both countries are key members of the East African Community (EAC), whose protocols guarantee the free movement of people and protection of citizens within partner states.
Analysts say the incident underscores growing concerns about transnational repression in the region, where political dissidents, journalists, and activists have faced harassment or abductions across borders.
Human rights organizations have urged both governments to ensure the safe return of the two Kenyans and to respect their obligations under international law regarding the protection of foreign nationals.
The Law Society of Kenya, Vocal Africa, and Amnesty International Kenya have strongly condemned the reported abduction of the duo.
“This latest incident represents yet another alarming case in a pattern of abductions and enforced disappearances of East African activists, exposing the deepening crackdown on dissent in the region. Over the last year, human rights organisations have documented an escalation and a disturbing pattern of transnational repression and intimidation targeting activists and opposition figures across East Africa,” the lobbies said in a joint statement.
The incidents, they said, demonstrate a systematic and coordinated assault on civil society, media, and political opposition in East Africa.
In August 2024, Njagi and two brothers, Aslam and Jamil Longton, were forcibly disappeared in Kenya for over a month after participating in the Finance bill demonstrations.
