Mombasa activists demand immediate release of Kenyans allegedly detained in Uganda
Human rights activists in Mombasa are demanding the immediate release of two Kenyan nationals allegedly being held by Ugandan authorities, urging the government in Nairobi to act swiftly.
Operating under the banner of the Mombasa Comrades and Activists Forum, the group claims that Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, both well-known human rights defenders, were abducted and are being unlawfully detained in a Ugandan military facility.
They are appealing to Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to intervene and secure their release.
“This is an unlawful detention that violates fundamental rights and international treaties. We demand their immediate and unconditional release,” the group said in a joint statement.
The activists accused Ugandan authorities of perpetuating a worrying regional pattern of silencing dissent, citing recent cases where Tanzanian officials allegedly abducted and mistreated rights campaigners, including Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi and a Ugandan national identified as Agatha.
Violates international instruments
According to their statement, the detention of Njagi and Oyoo violates several international instruments, including the East African Community Treaty, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
They also criticised the Kenyan government’s handling of the matter, accusing Mudavadi of remaining silent despite his duty to protect citizens abroad.
“Your silence is a betrayal of the mandate you were given,” the statement read, warning that continued inaction could lead to legal action, including a petition to the East African Court of Justice.
The activists issued a list of demands, including a formal diplomatic protest by Kenya, an end to the alleged targeting of foreign activists by Uganda, and potential legal proceedings before regional and continental human rights bodies if the two Kenyans are not released.
“We will not watch in silence while our comrades are tortured, detained, or disappeared. Human rights activism is not terrorism, and solidarity is not a crime,” they declared.
