NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan activist Bob Njagi, recently released after 38 days in detention in Uganda, has publicly claimed that his abduction, alongside fellow activist Nicholas Oyoo, was a coordinated effort between the Kenyan and Ugandan governments.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Njagi alleged that the states of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda are collaborating to silence dissenting voices against the ruling regimes in the region.
“The three governments are collaborating between Yoweri Museveni, our President William Ruto and Samia Suluhu,” he claimed. “Our arrest was coordinated between the Kenyan government, they knew we were crossing over into Uganda, they raised the alarm there and those guys did the dirty job for them.”
Allegations of military detention and torture
Njagi and Oyoo had traveled to Uganda to join the campaign trail of National Unity Platform (PNU) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, when they were reportedly forced into a vehicle and had their phones switched off.
The activists, who were visibly frail upon their return to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on November 8, claimed they were held incommunicado by the country’s military special forces at the Kasenyi Military Barracks in Entebbe.
Njagi described enduring severe hardship during the detention:
“We were in military detention by the special forces. I didn’t eat for 14 days. We were tortured,” said Bob Njagi, struggling to hold back tears.
Njagi further alleged that their abduction was carried out by a “militia” operating under Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
“It is the son Muhoozi who is undertaking these crimes against humanity. They are being undertaken at special forces command centre in Sera Kasenyi which is the training centre for the presidential security team and they call themselves next to none because they don’t take command from the Judiciary or, Executive. This is a militia operating under General Muhoozi,” he claimed.
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He intimated that he left over 150 people in custody at the facility, asserting they were being detained without due process: “they are being kept without going through any court process. These people have no cases most of them are being kept there for political reasons.”
Ugandan President confirms arrest
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni confirmed that the two activists had been in the custody of Ugandan security forces. He accused them of working with his opponent, Bobi Wine, to incite riots in the neighboring country.
Bobi Wine has frequently criticized the Museveni regime for propping up impunity and violating human rights, noting that the regime often uses abductions as a tool to silence critics and initially denies having them in custody.
