The United Nations has raised concern over the disappearance of two Kenyan human rights defenders, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who were reportedly abducted in Uganda while planning to attend an opposition rally organised by National Unity Platform leader Bobi Wine.
In a statement released on Friday, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor said she was deeply disturbed by the continued disappearance of the two Kenyans, calling on Ugandan authorities to take urgent action.
"Very disturbed by the reported continued disappearance of Kenyan HRDs Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo in Uganda. The two defenders were allegedly abducted by unidentified armed men in Kampala on 1 October. Ugandan authorities must investigate and secure the safe release of Bob and Nicholas," Lawlor stated.
Her remarks came at a time when there is growing pressure from regional and international human rights groups demanding accountability from the Ugandan government over the fate of the two activists.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) endorsed Lawlor’s statement and amplified the call for justice.
''KHRC endorses this statement by Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, and reiterates that the Uganda regime must free Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo,'' KHRC shared in response to the UN's official comments.
According to reports, the two Kenyan activists had travelled to Uganda to attend a consultative meeting with Bobi Wine and other members of the National Unity Platform.
A witness who was with them at the time of the incident recounted that their attackers forced them into a waiting vehicle before speeding away. The witness, who was also abducted and later released, said the captors switched off Njagi and Oyoo’s phones immediately after the abduction, and their whereabouts remain unknown.
Efforts to locate the two have so far yielded no results, with friends, colleagues, and human rights organisations expressing fear for their safety.
The Ugandan National Police, however, denied any involvement in the alleged abduction. Speaking on Monday, October 6, during a security briefing, Police Spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke said no reports indicated that the two Kenyans were in police custody.
Following the incident, the Kenyan government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that it had sought clarification from Ugandan authorities.
In a formal diplomatic note, the High Commission of the Republic of Kenya in Kampala expressed concern over the incident and requested urgent clarification from Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The note urged the Ugandan government to liaise with its internal security departments to locate the missing activists and provide updates on their status.
