Human rights lawyers and activists in Uganda have filed a petition in the High Court (Civil Division) seeking the immediate release of two Kenyan political activists, Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi, who are reportedly being held at Mbuya military facility.
The petition, filed through Kiiza & Mugisha Advocates, alleges that Oyoo and Njagi were unlawfully arrested while accompanying presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, on a campaign trail.
According to the petition, the lawyers are seeking habeas corpus against four top security officials, including the Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security, the Inspector General of Police, and the Attorney General of Uganda, accusing them of unlawful detention.
Koffi Atinda, a Kenyan human rights activist who survived a similar abduction in Kaliro and is a friend of the detainees, filed a supporting affidavit. “I witnessed my friends being taken in a Toyota Hiace van, commonly known as a ‘Drone,’ by men in both military and civilian clothes. I later learnt they were taken to Mbuya military facility,” Atinda stated.
He added: “Since their arrest on October 1st, they have been held without access to lawyers, family, or consular officials. Their continued detention is illegal and a blatant abuse of their fundamental human rights, including personal liberty, human dignity, and freedom from torture.”
Atinda expressed concern about the notorious reputation of the Mbuya facility, saying it has a history of torturing and harassing critics of President Museveni and his inner circle.
“As citizens of Kenya and members of the East African Community, we have the right to move freely and participate in civic activities without harassment,” he said.
The petition is further supported by an affidavit from NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, seeking to compel security agencies to produce Oyoo and Njagi in court “dead or alive” and explain the circumstances of their detention.
The lawyers are demanding their immediate and unconditional release, arguing that the two men have been held beyond the constitutionally permitted 48 hours without charge.
The High Court is yet to schedule a hearing on the petition, but human rights observers say the case could have wider implications for the treatment of foreign activists in Uganda.