The family of Nicholas Oyoo, one of two Kenyan nationals allegedly abducted in Uganda, is pleading with the Ugandan authorities to release him and fellow detainee Bob Njagi, who have now been missing for 10 days.
The two were reportedly abducted on October 1, and their continued detention without formal charges has triggered fear and deep concern among their families and human rights groups across both Kenya and Uganda.
The pair is believed to be held illegally at the Mbuya Military Facility in Kampala, though Ugandan authorities have yet to confirm their whereabouts.
Human rights activists have mounted pressure on both governments to intervene, but no progress has been made so far.
For their families, the days since the abduction have been filled with anguish, uncertainty, and silence.
“It is a difficult time… so difficult my sister here has been staying with me,” said Roseline M. Ochieng, Nicholas Oyoo’s mother.
She recalled the moment she first heard the news on television, saying she was about to eat dinner when the report aired.
“I had already prepared supper and I was at the table eating when I watched the news on Citizen TV… even I never continued eating… I threw the food in the fridge, where it has been until now.”
Oyoo’s sister, Beatrice A. Ochieng, shared the emotional toll the incident has taken on the family.
“Our minds keep going to ‘what if they are not found?’ My mum is old, she has a condition, and she is really disturbed.”
Despite repeated attempts to get information through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the family says they have received no updates on the status or wellbeing of the two men.
“What is the government doing to expedite their release so that we stop being in that frame of mind every time?” Beatrice asked.
“I don’t really know what the government is doing because it is only the human rights people following it… I sent a petition to Mudavadi’s office but he has never spoken about it,” added Roseline.
Their brother, Julius Ayilla Ochieng, appealed to the government for urgent action:
“We want him back home… so we appeal to the government, please make every effort to see these two law-abiding citizens are back home.”
Meanwhile, Ugandan human rights activists have filed a petition with the Uganda Human Rights Commission, demanding a full investigation into the circumstances of the arrest and continued detention.
They argue that the men are being held in violation of several legal frameworks, including Uganda’s Constitution, Article 7 of the East African Community (EAC) Treaty, the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, all of which prohibit arbitrary detention and uphold the right to due process.
Oyoo’s mother questioned the justification for her son’s detention:
“What crime have they committed? Is there a crime in appearing in someone’s campaign?”
As pressure mounts, the families are urging both the Kenyan and Ugandan governments to act swiftly and transparently to secure the immediate and unconditional release of the two men.
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