In a shocking televised confession, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has admitted that security agents arrested and detained two Kenyan activists, locking them in what he described as "the fridge" for several days.
The Disappearance That Shook East Africa
The two men, identified as Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, vanished in October after attending a political event supporting Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine. According to BBC reports, witnesses saw masked men forcing the activists into a vehicle.
For more than five weeks, Ugandan authorities denied any knowledge of their whereabouts, despite growing outrage from human rights organizations across East Africa. The mystery surrounding their disappearance finally ended when President Museveni broke his silence during a televised interview on Saturday.
Museveni's Chilling Admission
The veteran leader, who has ruled Uganda for nearly 40 years and plans to contest next year's election, confirmed the detention during his interview. He described the two Kenyans as "experts in riots" who were "put in the fridge for some days."
Museveni suggested the pair had been interfering in Uganda's internal politics and 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 during the broadcast.
Thirty-Eight Days of Ordeal
The activists were finally released on Saturday after 38 days in captivity. They were reunited with cheering supporters at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, where Njagi recounted their harrowing experience.
"Thirty-eight days of abduction was not easy," Njagi stated. "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 resulted from "sustained diplomatic engagement between Kenya and Uganda." Museveni revealed that unnamed Kenyan leaders had appealed for the men's safe return.
Regional Pattern of Abductions
Opposition figure Bobi Wine quickly responded to the developments, accusing the Ugandan government of targeting the two men specifically for supporting him. "If they committed any offence, why were they not produced before court and formally charged?" he questioned in a social media post.
Human rights group Vocal Africa, which had campaigned for the activists' freedom, called their release a victory for civic activism and cross-border solidarity. The organization urged that "this moment signal an important shift towards upholding the human rights of East Africans anywhere in the East African Community."
This incident follows a pattern of similar abductions reported in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, raising concerns about coordinated crackdowns on dissent throughout the region. Uganda's security agencies face frequent accusations of abducting opposition members and activists without due process.
