Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda, Joash Maangi, has cautioned Kenyan nationals against involvement in Uganda’s internal political affairs, stressing that such actions could endanger their personal safety and strain diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The remarks follow the recent release of two Kenyan nationals, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who went missing for over a month after reportedly being abducted while attending the manifesto launch of National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu in Kaliro, eastern Uganda.
Speaking to the press, High Commissioner Maangi emphasized the importance of respecting Uganda’s sovereignty. “We urge our brothers and sisters in Kenya to stick to politics at home. Let Ugandans manage their own political affairs. Every country has its sovereignty, which must be respected according to its constitution,” he said.
The disappearance of Njagi and Oyoo drew widespread criticism of the Ugandan government, which initially denied detaining the men in any official facility. Maangi revealed that Kenyan officials in Kampala only became aware of the abduction two days after it occurred. Their families had reported the disappearance to Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which subsequently informed the Kenyan High Commission in Uganda.
“We received information that two Kenyans had gone missing about a month ago. As per the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, we asked the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs about their whereabouts, and they promised to investigate and respond. When progress seemed slow, we followed up again. Thankfully, on Friday, we were informed that we could pick them up,” Maangi said.
The High Commissioner did not disclose the specific location of the meeting with the two nationals or the identity of the Ugandan officials who facilitated their release. The Kenyans were later escorted by Ugandan authorities to the Busia border, where they were received by Busia County Commissioner Chaunga Mwachaunga.
Eyewitnesses reported that Njagi and Oyoo were abducted by masked men in uniform around Kireka, Kampala, shortly after attending the NUP campaign launch on October 1. President Museveni later confirmed that government officials had detained the men in a “fridge,” alleging they were in Uganda to train opposition supporters in riot tactics.
Maangi, however, refuted this claim, stating that the two were in Uganda for legitimate tourism-related purposes. “One of them was conducting a ground survey to scout locations for a group of 15 Canadian tourists for gorilla trekking in western Uganda,” he said.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Henry Oryem Okello, commended High Commissioner Maangi for clarifying the situation and reminding Kenyan citizens to avoid interfering in Uganda’s domestic politics.