The High Court of Uganda has ruled that Kenyan activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo who were allegedly abducted in Kampala earlier this month will officially be regarded as missing persons. The decision has drawn sharp reactions from rights groups in both Kenya and Uganda.
Highlights:
- Kenyan activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo disappeared on October 1 in Uganda.
- Uganda High Court ruled the two as “missing persons.”
- Activists’ lawyer alleged they were held incommunicado at a military base in Mbuya.
- Court found no evidence linking Uganda’s security agencies to the abduction.
- Judge advised counsel to file a missing persons report with police.
Main Story:
The Disappearance
Kenyan activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo vanished in Uganda on October 1 after reportedly being abducted by armed men believed to be security officers. The duo had joined opposition leader Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP) campaign trail before they were allegedly forced into a vehicle and disappeared.
Court Declares Them Missing
In a ruling delivered on October 22, Justice Simon Peter Kinobe of the Uganda High Court said there was insufficient evidence to prove that Uganda’s security agencies were responsible for their disappearance. As a result, he ordered that the two be categorised as missing persons
Judge Defends Ruling
The court dismissed the application by the activists’ lawyer, who had accused the State of illegally detaining the two incommunicado at a military facility in Mbuya. Justice Kinobe said the accusations lacked merit and described the application as “vexatious and brought in bad faith.”
“The State cannot be forced to produce what it doesn’t have,” the judge said, advising the counsel to lodge a missing persons report with the Uganda Police Force for further investigations.
Reactions from Rights Groups
Human rights advocates in Kenya and Uganda have condemned the ruling, calling for urgent action to locate the missing duo. They insist the activists’ disappearance points to a worrying trend of cross-border abductions targeting political dissidents.
As investigations continue, the haunting question remains where are Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, and who is truly responsible for their disappearance?
