The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has raised alarm following the abduction of two Kenyan human rights defenders in Kampala, Uganda. In a joint statement released on Wednesday, October 2, 2025, LSK, Amnesty International Kenya, and Vocal Africa condemned the disappearance of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, both affiliated with the Free Kenya Movement.
According to eyewitnesses, the two activists were seized on October 1, 2025, by armed men believed to be Ugandan security officers at a petrol station in Kireka, Kampala. They were forced into a vehicle, their phones switched off, and their whereabouts remain unknown. A third activist, briefly detained during the incident, described the ordeal as terrifying and expressed deep concern for Njagi and Oyoo’s safety.
Rights groups say the abduction fits into a worrying pattern of enforced disappearances targeting activists across East Africa. Amnesty International Kenya noted that such actions reflect an escalating crackdown on dissent, particularly against opposition leaders, journalists, and civil society actors.
This is not the first time Njagi has faced abduction. In August 2024, he and two brothers were forcibly disappeared in Kenya after participating in protests against government economic policies. They were held incommunicado for over a month, subjected to torture, and released under continued surveillance. His re-abduction in Uganda, rights groups warn, represents a serious escalation in transnational repression.
LSK has urged both Kenyan and Ugandan authorities to urgently account for the missing activists, insisting that the rule of law must prevail. Amnesty International further warned that unchecked abductions pose a grave threat to democratic freedoms and the wider civil society space in the region.
The incident has reignited calls for stronger regional accountability mechanisms to protect activists and prevent cross-border state-linked repression.
