Families of two Kenyan human rights activists who went missing in Uganda are enduring unbearable anguish as days turn into weeks without any word of their whereabouts. The disappearance of Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who vanished on October 1 in Kampala, has sparked growing concern among regional human rights organisations and civil society.
According to eyewitness reports, the two activists were abducted by unidentified men driving an unmarked vehicle shortly after they left a petrol station near Kampala, where they had stopped en route to monitor a political rally. Since then, neither family nor lawyers have been able to contact them, and Ugandan police have denied having them in custody.
Back home in Kenya, their families are tormented by uncertainty and fear. Days are spent calling officials, visiting police stations, and pleading for answers that never come. “Each passing day without them feels heavier than the last,” said a relative. “We just want to know if they are safe.”
Several human rights organisations, including Amnesty International Kenya and the Law Society of Kenya, have petitioned the Ugandan government to account for the activists’ whereabouts. They argue that the case reflects a disturbing trend of enforced disappearances and intimidation targeting activists across East Africa. Despite growing diplomatic pressure, both Nairobi and Kampala have remained largely silent, deepening the families’ frustration.
In Nyeri and Kisumu, the activists’ relatives have held vigils, lighting candles and praying for their safe return. Njagi’s mother continues to knit sweaters for her son, insisting he will come home, while Oyoo’s younger sister has suspended her university studies, unable to focus amid the uncertainty.
Legal analysts say the disappearance raises serious questions about the region’s commitment to protecting civil rights. “When activists vanish across borders and governments fail to respond, it weakens public trust in justice and governance,” said one legal expert.
As days stretch into weeks, the silence surrounding Njagi and Oyoo’s fate grows more haunting. For their families, every unanswered phone call, every quiet night, and every unreturned message feels like a cruel reminder of their absence. Still, hope remains their only companion — a fragile but unyielding belief that someday, they will return home safely.
Image by Uzalendo News
