The Uganda Police Force has denied any knowledge of the whereabouts of two Kenyan human rights and political activists who reportedly disappeared in Kampala a week ago.
The two activists, Bob Nyagi and Nicholas Ayoo, are said to have travelled from Kenya to attend political rallies of National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine.
They were last seen in Kireka, Kira Municipality, Wakiso district, before allegedly being abducted by unknown people. Like the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesperson Maj Gen Felix Kulayigye, police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said security agencies are still waiting for information about the activists’ fate.
Addressing journalists on Monday at police headquarters in Naguru, Rusoke said police had not received any formal complaint about the disappearance of the two Kenyans but promised to update the public if credible information emerges.
“At the moment, I don’t have any information to the effect that they are in police custody. If I had it, I would volunteer to say it,” Rusoke said. “I also don’t have information that they have been reported formally that they disappeared.”
Kyagulanyi, however, has accused Ugandan security agencies of abducting the two men “in a mafia-style operation” in Kireka before whisking them to an unknown location.
“We condemn the continuing lawlessness by the rogue regime and demand that these brothers be released unconditionally,” Kyagulanyi wrote on his X account.
“The criminal regime apparently abducted them simply for associating with me and expressing solidarity with our cause.”
The disappearance of Nyagi and Ayoo has alarmed regional human rights defenders, who have expressed concern over the safety of foreign activists operating in Uganda. Their case adds to a growing list of unresolved disappearances of opposition supporters and political activists.
Among them is Sam Mugumya, a long-time activist and ally of Dr Kizza Besigye, who went missing over a month ago. Mugumya, who had expressed interest in contesting for the Rukungiri Municipality parliamentary seat, has not been seen since.
As calls for accountability mount, both the Police and UPDF continue to deny any involvement or knowledge of the fate of the missing Kenyan activists.
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