‘Business and gorillas’: Bob Njagi, Nicholas Oyoo narrate how they ended up in Museveni’s ‘fridge’

Kenyan human rights activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo have shed light on the circumstances that led to their ill-fated trip to Uganda, saying their visit was purely for business and social engagements before they were abducted and detained by Ugandan security forces for 39 days.

Speaking during Citizen TV’s JKLive show on Wednesday night, the duo, who were recently released from Kasenyi Military Barracks in Entebbe, narrated how their trip turned into a nightmare a day after crossing the border.

Free Kenya Movement (FKM) Secretary General Oyoo said their presence at Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine’s manifesto launch was out of solidarity, not politics.

“We have business interests, family interests, those kinds of relationships…We had a plan to go to Uganda to go and see some of these issues. When we got into Uganda, legally by the way, had our passports stamped and a six-month Visa, we got in very well and started our business,” he narrated.

“We realised our colleague Bobi Wine was having a launch of their manifesto and felt like that is something we should give our solidarity to. So we were there to give solidarity because that is what we usually do.”

He added: “Because even if I am in court, you may not have resources to support me in anything, but as long as I can see you, it makes me feel like people are helping out. That is what we were going to do and for us, we didn’t expect anything of this nature; we expected it would be four-five days, then we would be back.”

Bob Njagi, who serves as the FKM Chairman, said he had multiple reasons for visiting Uganda, including scouting tourism sites and reconnecting with business associates.

“I have some Canadian friends of mine who are bound to come to Kenya in January and they asked me if I can take them to see gorillas in Uganda,” Njagi said.

“So I thought that if I go there in advance, I would be able to look at the good places to take them if they do come in January. I don’t think they’re considering travelling to Uganda anytime soon after seeing what happened to us.”

Njagi further underscored that he also hoped to meet former Ugandan Health Minister Michael Mukula, with whom he had transacted business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, I supplied masks to him worth over Ksh.1 million and I was there to see if I could meet with him,” he noted.

“Politically, we have interactions with the National Unity Party here in Kenya for many years, since 2018 — you remember the Free Bobi Wine protests in Nairobi; that was the Free Kenya Movement. And we joined him in protests and thereafter he has visited Kenya twice.”

The activists said they were only two days into their visit when they were abducted by unidentified men believed to be part of Uganda’s Special Forces Command.

“We got there and by the second day we were abducted; we were planning to stay for at least a week and then come back as East African citizens,” Njagi recounted.

Njagi and Oyoo were released 39 days later, following sustained pressure from the Kenyan government, Amnesty International, and Vocal Africa, with former President Uhuru Kenyatta reportedly playing a role in negotiations.

Bobi Wine later claimed the activists were detained under the direct orders of General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

The pair has been calling for accountability and stronger regional safeguards against cross-border human rights violations.