Kenyan human rights activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo have been released in Busia, 38 days after their enforced disappearance in Uganda. Civil society groups, including VOCAL Africa and Amnesty International Kenya, hailed their release as a victory for human rights advocacy and called on East African governments to protect citizens and uphold cross-border accountability.
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov. 8, 2025— Kenyan human rights activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who had been missing in Uganda for more than a month, have been released, according to a joint statement by VOCAL Africa, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and Amnesty International Kenya.
The two were freed on Thursday night in Busia, 39 days after what human rights groups described as their enforced disappearance. They are now being facilitated to travel to Nairobi, where family, friends, and colleagues are expected to receive them.
“We extend our appreciation to their families, Free Kenya Movement colleagues, human rights defenders, journalists, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs in Kenya and Tanzania, and all active citizens who have tirelessly campaigned for this moment,” the joint statement said.
The organisations expressed hope that their release marks a new chapter for human rights protection in the region.
“Let this moment signal an important shift towards upholding the human rights of East Africans anywhere within the East African Community,” they added.
Diplomatic intervention
The release comes just days after Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Cabinet Secretary and Chief Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi wrote to his Tanzanian and Ugandan counterparts, urging swift action to locate and secure the release of the two activists.
In his letter dated Friday, Mudavadi emphasized Kenya’s duty to protect its citizens abroad and called for regional cooperation in addressing incidents of cross-border abductions and arbitrary detentions. His intervention followed mounting pressure from civil society groups and public protests demanding accountability from regional governments.
Regional context
Njagi and Oyoo’s disappearance had drawn regional attention, coming amid heightened tension over the treatment of Kenyans and human rights defenders in neighbouring countries.
Last week, Amnesty International Kenya, VOCAL Africa, and the Defenders Coalition issued a strongly worded statement condemning the killing of Kenyan teacher John Okoth Ogutu in Dar es Salaam and the detention of Fredrick Lorent Obuya, who remains in Tanzanian police custody.
The groups accused Tanzanian authorities of targeting foreign nationals following a disputed election, warning against the scapegoating of Kenyans for domestic unrest.
Human rights advocates say Njagi and Oyoo’s release should now pave the way for deeper dialogue on cross-border protection, freedom of expression, and accountability within the East African Community (EAC).
