Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has accused two Kenyan nationals of collaborating with opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, to organize riots in Uganda.
Speaking during an interview at Mbale State Lodge on Saturday night, Museveni named the activists as Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, claiming they were working as “riot experts” for the opposition. He said Ugandan security agencies arrested them after gathering intelligence linking them to Kyagulanyi’s political activities.
“We have very good intelligence. For instance, we have got two Kenyans whom we arrested. They came and were working with Kyagulanyi’s group they are experts in riots,” Museveni stated.
According to Museveni, Njagi and Oyoo were advising opposition groups on strategies for street demonstrations and unrest. He insisted their actions were part of a coordinated effort to destabilize Uganda and defended their detention as being based on credible intelligence. Museveni added that Uganda would not tolerate foreign interference in its internal political affairs.
The two activists were detained for 38 days, during which authorities initially refused to disclose their whereabouts, despite court orders demanding their presentation in court. Their release was later confirmed by Kenya’s Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’Oei, who said they were safely returned to Kenyan territory via the Busia border.
Njagi and Oyoo had traveled to Uganda on September 29 with two Ugandan colleagues and reportedly joined Bobi Wine’s campaign trail in Buyende and Kamuli districts. Eyewitnesses reported that they were forcibly taken by armed individuals from a petrol station in Kamuli on October 1, after which their phones went silent.
The release of the activists has been widely welcomed, with Kenyan authorities expressing gratitude for diplomatic efforts that facilitated their safe return.
This incident underscores ongoing tensions between Uganda’s government and opposition forces, as well as heightened scrutiny over foreign nationals involved in political activities within Uganda.
