The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has welcomed the release of activists Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi, who were freed in Busia on Thursday night after spending 38 days in enforced disappearance.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), LSK President Faith Odhiambo confirmed that the two activists are safe, calling their return “an important moment for human rights defenders in the region.”
“We welcome the release of Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi last night in Busia after 38 days of their enforced disappearance,” Odhiambo wrote.
She expressed gratitude to everyone who had fought for the men’s freedom — including their families, the Free Kenya Movement, journalists, human rights defenders, and Kenya’s and Tanzania’s ministries of foreign affairs.
“We extend our appreciation to their families, Free Kenya Movement colleagues, human rights defenders, journalists, and all active citizens who tirelessly campaigned for this moment,” she added.
Odhiambo said that LSK, together with VOCAL Africa and Amnesty International Kenya, is now coordinating the activists’ transfer to Nairobi, where they will reunite with relatives and supporters.
“We will give details of their arrival for family, friends, and comrades to meet them,” she noted.
A Regional Wake-Up Call
The LSK President emphasized that the release should mark a turning point for the protection of East Africans’ rights across borders.
“Let this moment signal an important shift towards upholding the human rights of East Africans anywhere within the East African Community,” she said.
Human rights organizations had for weeks demanded answers from Ugandan authorities after the duo’s sudden disappearance in early October.
Foreign Affairs Confirms Safe Return
Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei also confirmed the activists’ release, saying they were now back on Kenyan soil.
“Late last night, after lengthy engagements, the two were released to our High Commissioner in Uganda, Maangi Joash,” he posted on X.
According to Sing’Oei, the activists were escorted by Ugandan officials and received in Busia by County Commissioner Chaunga Mwachaunga.
“We are deeply grateful for the efforts by different actors who made this outcome possible. We shall release a more detailed account later,” he added.
The Disappearance
The saga began on October 1, when Njagi and Oyoo were reported missing in Uganda under unclear circumstances.
Reports indicate that the pair had travelled to Uganda on September 29 with two Ugandan colleagues and later joined opposition politician Bobi Wine’s campaign trail in Buyende and Kamuli districts.
Witnesses said Njagi even addressed supporters at one of Bobi Wine’s rallies. However, the next day, the two reportedly stopped at a petrol station in Kamuli to fix their car when a grey van with four armed people arrived.
Eyewitnesses claimed the men were forced into the vehicle before it sped off. Their phones went silent shortly after.
At the time, Ugandan police spokesperson Kituma Rusoke stated that the two were not in police custody.
Outcry from Rights Groups
The alleged abduction triggered outrage among human rights organizations across East Africa.
VOCAL Africa, one of the advocacy groups involved in their release campaign, condemned the incident in early October, stating:
“Reports confirm that activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo of the Free Kenya Movement were abducted in Kampala while attending opposition leader Bobi Wine’s campaign. They were reportedly taken from a fuel station.”
With the two men finally free, human rights defenders are now urging regional governments to ensure accountability and to strengthen mechanisms that protect activists across the East African Community.
“This victory shows the power of solidarity,” one Amnesty Kenya official commented privately. “But it also reminds us that enforced disappearances must never be normalized.”
