STATEMENT ON THE ABDUCTION OF KENYANS BOB NJAGI AND NICHOLAS OYOO

Nairobi, 6 October 2025: Six days since the abduction of Kenyan human rights defenders Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo in Kampala, their whereabouts remain unknown. The Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Vocal Africa, and Amnesty International Kenya express deep concern that, despite public outrage and ongoing diplomatic engagement, the two remain held incommunicado, a blatant violation of Ugandan and international human rights law.

Eyewitness accounts indicate that Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo were abducted in Kampala by masked, uniformed, and armed men, suggesting strong evidence of state involvement in their disappearance. We suspect that they may be detained alongside other Ugandan political detainees in military facilities such as Nalufenya in Jinja or the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) headquarters in Mbuya, Kampala. These sites are notorious for unlawful detention, torture, and enforced disappearances. Their continued incommunicado detention has now exceeded the 48-hour legal limit under Ugandan law, contravening their constitutional rights to liberty, a fair trial, and protection from cruel and inhumane treatment.

Uganda’s legal framework provides strong guarantees for due process and accountability. Article 28 of the Ugandan Constitution, 1995, together with the Criminal Procedure Code, 1950 (as amended), and the Human Rights Enforcement Act, 2019, upholds the right to a fair hearing and protection against arbitrary detention. Therefore, the prolonged disappearance of Bob and Nicholas is a direct violation of Uganda’s domestic laws.

Beyond national law, the abduction and suspected enforced disappearance of Bob and Nicholas violate several international and regional legal frameworks binding both Uganda and Kenya. Under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Articles 6, 7, and 9 guarantee the rights to life, liberty, and security of person, and protection from torture and other ill-treatment. The Convention Against Torture (CAT) obliges states to both prevent and investigate acts of torture and other ill-treatment. At the same time, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) affirms similar protections under Articles 4, 5, 6, and 7. The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED), though not ratified by Uganda, defines enforced disappearance as a crime under any circumstance. The East African Community (EAC) Treaty commits member states, through Articles 6(d) and 7(2), to democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.

Furthermore, enforced disappearance and cross-border abduction are potential crimes against humanity when they form part of a widespread or systematic attack on civilians. The current situation, in which East African citizens are abducted and detained across borders, reflects a dangerous erosion of these fundamental principles.

We welcome Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs’ ongoing efforts and urge them to intensify diplomatic engagement with Ugandan counterparts to ensure the immediate disclosure, release, and safe return of Bob and Nicholas. The Ugandan government must act transparently and ensure the activists’ humane treatment.

Each passing day deepens the anguish of their families, who remain without answers or access to their loved ones. Bob and Nicholas represent a generation of young East Africans committed to justice, civic participation, and the defense of human rights. Their suspected enforced disappearance is not just a violation of their individual freedoms but also a threat to the rule of law in the region.

We reiterate our collective demand for their immediate release. Both governments must promptly uphold their domestic, regional, and international human rights obligations. The Law Society of Kenya, Vocal Africa, and Amnesty International Kenya stand in solidarity with Bob, Nicholas, their families and all East Africans facing repression.

Signed:

Irungu Houghton – Executive Director, Amnesty International Kenya

Faith Odhiambo – President, Law Society of Kenya

Hussein Khalid – Executive Director, Vocal Africa