Activists Njagi and Oyoo Missing: Ugandans Demand Answers as Fears Grow

By Valentine Uchechukwu Ndukwu

Activists Njagi and Oyoo Missing: Ugandans Demand Answers as Fears Grow

Two Kenyan activists, Bob Njagi** and Nicholas Oyoo, have been missing for nearly a month, and reports suggest they may be held in Uganda.

The pair had traveled to Uganda to support opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, a strong critic of President Yoweri Museveni.

Their disappearance has raised serious human rights concerns and put a spotlight on growing hostility toward activists in East Africa.

In recent years, being an activist in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania has become increasingly dangerous. Governments across the region appear to have adopted a “see no evil, hear no evil” attitude, turning a blind eye to abductions and intimidation of voices that challenge authority.

Prominent activists like Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire have faced harassment, while figures like Martha Karua continue to risk much to defend opposition leaders such as Kizza Besigye, who faces politically motivated charges.

The silence from the three governments over Njagi and Oyoo’s fate is deeply troubling. Many fear it signals a coordinated effort to silence dissent and weaken democracy in the region.

Civil rights advocates are urging citizens to speak out, warning that staying quiet only empowers those who abuse power. As one famous quote reminds us: “If we don’t speak up when others are taken, no one will be left to speak when they come for us.”