A Ugandan High Court has issued a powerful ruling demanding that security authorities produce two missing Kenyan nationals, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, either dead or alive within seven days. The two have been missing in Uganda for the past two weeks and are suspected of being unlawfully held at a military detention camp.
The directive was issued by Justice Peter Kinobe during a habeas corpus hearing at the High Court Civil Division in Kampala, following a petition filed by two Ugandan advocates on October 6. The case has drawn significant attention from human rights organizations and activists across East Africa.
In a statement released by Freedom Hive Uganda, a human rights advocacy group that attended the court session, Justice Kinobe reaffirmed his commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting constitutional rights.
“Justice Peter Kinobe ordered the government to produce Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo dead or alive within seven days. The Honourable Judge expressed his commitment to upholding the constitutional rights of the two activists, who have been held in unlawful military detention for 14 days,” Freedom Hive Uganda said.
The two Kenyans are believed to have been detained over their alleged involvement in political activism. Their disappearance has sparked widespread concern, with cross-border civil society groups demanding transparency and accountability from Ugandan authorities.
Human rights defenders argue that the abduction and unlawful detention of Njagi and Oyoo reflect a worrying trend of shrinking civic space and cross-border intimidation of activists in the region.
The High Court’s ruling is seen as a critical test of Uganda’s judicial independence and commitment to human rights. If the authorities fail to comply within the stipulated seven days, the government could face legal and diplomatic consequences.
As the countdown begins, both Kenyan and Ugandan human rights groups are urging the public to remain vigilant and to keep demanding justice for the two missing activists.
