Two Kenyan human rights activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, have reportedly gone missing in Uganda after being abducted by armed men. The incident occurred while they were attending a campaign event for Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine, sparking widespread condemnation and raising significant concerns about transnational repression in East Africa.

Bob Njagi, who chairs the FreeKenya Movement, and Nicholas Oyoo, its secretary general, were seized on Wednesday afternoon from a petrol station in Kireka, Kampala. Eyewitnesses described four armed men forcing the pair into a vehicle and driving them to an undisclosed location, with their mobile phones subsequently switched off. The activists had traveled to Uganda earlier in the week, arriving on Monday, to support Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) and its nomination process, even joining the campaign trail across Buyende and Kamuli districts on Tuesday.

Bobi Wine, a pop star whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, is challenging President Yoweri Museveni in next year's elections. Wine strongly condemned what he termed a “mafia-style” abduction, accusing the “rogue regime” of targeting the Kenyans simply for associating with him and expressing solidarity with his political cause. He demanded their immediate and unconditional release, highlighting what he called the “continuing lawlessness” by the regime.

Ugandan authorities, however, provided conflicting responses. Police spokesman Kituma Rusoke denied the activists were in police custody, suggesting they might be with “any other [security] agency.” Army spokesperson Felix Kulayigye stated he could not comment on allegations involving non-uniformed “security operatives” and challenged Bobi Wine to provide proof of abduction and identify the specific agency involved. On the Kenyan side, while a representative initially stated unawareness, Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now reportedly following up on the matter through its embassy in Uganda, according to Vocal Africa.

Numerous human rights organizations have unequivocally condemned the reported abductions. Amnesty International Kenya, Vocal Africa, and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) issued a joint letter to Uganda’s High Commission in Nairobi, demanding the immediate release and safe return of Njagi and Oyoo. They urged Ugandan authorities to disclose the activists’ location, guarantee their safety, and uphold their rights under international law, terming the incident a “grave escalation of cross-border repression.” Felix Wambua, national coordinator of the FreeKenya Movement, emphasized that Njagi and Oyoo had committed no crime, their actions being rooted in democratic solidarity and Pan-African unity.

This is not an isolated incident for Njagi; he was previously abducted in Kenya in August 2024 by masked men during protests against economic policies. He remained missing for over a month before resurfacing, having reportedly faced harrowing conditions including isolation and food deprivation. This latest disappearance, along with a documented rise in enforced disappearances and intimidation of civil society actors across East Africa, fuels concerns that governments in the region may be collaborating to contain dissent.

Other similar incidents include the detention of Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and Ugandan counterpart Agather Atuhaire in Tanzania earlier this year, where they were held incommunicado for days before being abandoned at their respective national borders and reportedly subjected to brutal mistreatment. Last year, Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye mysteriously disappeared in Nairobi only to resurface four days later in a military court in Uganda facing treason charges. Such cases have sparked widespread condemnation, underscoring a disturbing pattern of transnational repression targeting activists across the region.