Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has for the first time confirmed that two missing Kenyan activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, were arrested and detained by Ugandan authorities for over a month. The pair disappeared on October 1 after attending a political event in Kampala supporting Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine. Witnesses said masked men in military gear forced them into a vehicle. For five weeks, Ugandan officials denied holding them, even as Kenyan diplomats and human rights groups pressed for answers. Speaking in a live TV interview on Saturday, Museveni described the activists as “experts in riots” who were “put in the fridge for some days.” He accused foreign groups of fueling unrest in the region and warned that “those doing that game here in Uganda will end up badly.”
Museveni said he authorized their release following calls from unnamed Kenyan leaders. Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi later confirmed that the men’s freedom came after “sustained diplomatic engagement between Kenya and Uganda.” Njagi and Oyoo arrived back in Nairobi on Saturday to cheers from supporters. “Thirty-eight days of abduction was not easy,” Njagi told reporters. “We didn’t think we would come out alive.” Human rights organization Vocal Africa, which had campaigned for their release, welcomed the development, urging East African governments to “uphold the rights and safety of citizens across the region.” Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986 and is seeking another term, made the remarks amid growing scrutiny over the government’s treatment of activists and political opponents.
