President Confesses to Locking Up Activists Inside Fridge on Live TV
- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed that Kenyan activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo were arrested and detained
- The two men had said they were held in harsh conditions for 38 days before being released through diplomatic efforts by Kenya
- Human rights groups and opposition figures accused Ugandan authorities of using abductions to silence critics and stifle political activism
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has admitted that two Kenyan activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, were arrested and detained by security agents after disappearing for more than five weeks in Uganda.
Their disappearance had sparked outrage among human rights groups and activists across East Africa.
Source: Getty Images
Njagi and Oyoo were last seen in October being forced into a vehicle by masked men after attending a political event in support of Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine, BBC reported.
Until their release on Saturday, November 9, 20225, Ugandan authorities had denied any involvement or knowledge of their whereabouts.
Museveni says duo were ‘put in the fridge’
Speaking during a televised interview on Saturday evening, November 8, 2025, Museveni confirmed that the men had been held. He described them as “experts in riots” who were “put in the fridge for some days.”
The veteran leader, who has ruled Uganda for nearly 40 years and plans to contest again in next election, suggested that the pair had been meddling in Uganda’s internal politics.
He also alleged that foreign actors were behind efforts to stir unrest across East Africa.
“The ones who are doing that game here in Uganda will end up badly,” he warned.
Museveni revealed that the two Kenyans were released following appeals from unnamed Kenyan leaders who requested their safe return.
Source: Getty Images
Diplomatic pressure facilitated Njagi and Oyoo's release
The men were received by cheering supporters at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
Njagi, recounting his ordeal, said:
“Thirty-eight days of abduction was not easy. We didn’t think that we were going to come out alive because we were being abducted by the military.”
Kenya’s Foreign Minister, Musalia Mudavadi, confirmed that their release was the result of “sustained diplomatic engagement between Kenya and Uganda.” Human rights group Vocal Africa, which had led campaigns for their freedom, called the development a victory for civic activism and cross-border solidarity.
“Let this moment signal an important shift towards upholding the human rights of East Africans anywhere in the East African Community,” the organisation said.
Opposition figure Bobi Wine accused the Ugandan government of targeting the two men for supporting him. “If they committed any offence, why were they not produced before court and formally charged?” he asked in a post on X.
Uganda’s security agencies have frequently been accused of abducting opposition members and activists without due process.
Similar incidents have been reported in Kenya and Tanzania, raising fears of coordinated crackdowns on dissent within the region.
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Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
