Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has openly confessed that his government was behind the abduction of two Kenyan activists, revealing that they were “kept in a fridge.”
His admission came just a day after the activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, were freed from custody following weeks of pressure from the public and human rights groups.
During an interview with Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC TV), President Museveni admitted that the two Kenyans had been in government custody despite earlier denials from Ugandan authorities.
He praised the country’s intelligence officers for their efficiency, saying the pair had been under close watch due to their alleged links with opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine.
“Here in Uganda, we have groups that we constantly monitor. Our intelligence is very strong,” Museveni said. “For example, we arrested two Kenyans—I can’t recall their names.
They were working with Kyagulanyi’s team and were experts in organizing riots. So, with our good intelligence network, we picked them up and kept them in the fridge for a few days. Later, some Kenyan leaders called me and requested that I either jail them here or hand them over to Kenya.”
The president’s admission came only hours after the two Kenyans, Njagi and Oyoo, were released after 38 days in detention. They were handed over to Kenyan authorities at the Busia border crossing on the night of Friday, October 7, ending a tense standoff between the two nations.
Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, Dr. Korir Sing’Oei, confirmed their release, explaining that the activists had first been received by the Kenyan High Commission in Uganda before being brought home.
Witnesses had earlier reported that the two were seized by armed men believed to be Ugandan security officers at a petrol station near Kampala. However, both the Ugandan police and the military had repeatedly denied having them in custody throughout the 38-day ordeal.
After landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on Saturday, Njagi and Oyoo narrated the harrowing experience they went through while in detention.
They said they were held at the Kasenyi Military Barracks in Entebbe, where they suffered severe torture, starvation, and constant fear.
Human rights group Amnesty International later revealed that their release came after intense diplomatic negotiations involving high-level figures.
Among those who reportedly intervened was former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose involvement played a key role in securing the activists’ freedom.
Jubilee Party’s Deputy Secretary General, Pauline Njoroge, confirmed that Uhuru Kenyatta personally called Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba—who is also President Museveni’s son—to plead for their release.
This direct intervention, according to sources, helped resolve the standoff and paved the way for the activists’ safe return to Kenya.
The shocking confession by President Museveni has now raised serious questions about human rights and cross-border security operations in East Africa. Many Kenyans have expressed outrage, demanding accountability and assurances that such incidents will not be repeated.
Human rights defenders have also urged both governments to uphold the rule of law and respect the sovereignty of their citizens.
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