Kenyan activists Bob Njagi and Nick Oyoo have recounted harrowing details of their 39-day ordeal in Uganda, claiming they were held incommunicado by the country’s military special forces.

Speaking at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Saturday afternoon after arriving from Kisumu, the visibly frail activists said they endured torture and starvation while in detention at the Kasenyi Military Barracks in Entebbe.

“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. 

Bob Njagi & Oyoo’s family, accompanied by Human Rights Activists at JKIA, who received the duo emotionally, thanked all those who participated in bringing their sons home as they appealed for justice.

“God has done it, and we thank God for what He has done,” said Nick’s mother, welcoming her son home.

"We must arrest these human rights violations; otherwise, we will see very violent elections in East Africa."

Representatives from Amnesty International, Vocal Africa, and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) present at the airport described the activists’ release as a relief but warned that the incident reflected a dangerous pattern of regional repression.

“We are afraid that if these trends witnessed in Tanzania and Uganda continue, human rights violations will be more rampant,” said Irene Soile of Amnesty International.

“The long journey for justice now begins. If we remain silent, oppressive regimes will come for us. We are calling on citizens of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to unite — an attack against one country is an attack against all of us,” added Hussein Khalid, Executive Director of Vocal Africa.

Amnesty International disclosed that the activists’ release followed high-level negotiations, which included intervention by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“Without the intervention of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, I don’t know if we would have managed,” said Felix Wambua of the Free Kenya Movement.

Their release was confirmed Friday night, when Ugandan authorities handed them over to the Kenyan High Commission in Kampala before being received by Busia County Commissioner Chaunga Mwachaunga at the border.

On Friday night, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei confirmed the activists were now safely back on Kenyan soil, thanking all parties involved in securing their freedom.

“Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo are free and on Kenyan territory. They were released to our High Commissioner in Uganda, Joash Maangi, after lengthy engagements,” he posted on X.

Njagi and Oyoo were reportedly abducted on October 1, 2025, while attending Bobi Wine’s National Unity Platform campaign events in Uganda. Their disappearance sparked an international outcry, prompting intervention by human rights groups and the Kenyan government.

The duo’s ordeal has reignited debate on human rights and cross-border security operations in East Africa, with Bobi Wine earlier alleging that Museveni’s son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, personally ordered their detention. By Joseph Muia, Citizen Digital