Kenyan human rights activist Bob Njagi has spoken out about his experience in Uganda, including being detained in what he described as ‘the fridge’.
Speaking in a press briefing on November 12, Bob Njagi explained the meaning of ‘Put Them in the Fridge’, remarks made by Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni in reference to their detention.
Njagi said that the detention facility confirmed by President Museveni at the Special Forces Command Centre is among several sites where hundreds of Ugandans are held without trial or formal charges.
“They have been detained, some of them up to a year. That is what is called the fridge, if you want to know what the fridge is. So there are some people who are actually in the freezer, not in the fridge,” Bob said.
He explained that the detentions are reportedly overseen by President Museveni’s son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and that the armed militia under his command operates independently.
He further noted that some of the detentions might have occurred without the knowledge of President Museveni.
Njagi narrated that his visit to Uganda had been initially non-political, noting that the purpose was to explore business opportunities and reconnect with fellow entrepreneurs in the country.
“We planned to go and see what’s happening there… Both look at the opportunities available for business, because we’re also entrepreneurs in our country, and we have friends who are entrepreneurs in Uganda,” he said.
After departing for Kampala to attend to other activities, their vehicle broke down, and they parked it overnight at a petrol station.
However, at around 10:00 am, Njagi and his colleague Nicholas Oyoo were confronted by armed men in Kampala and forcibly detained, an experience Njagi described as the start of their abduction.
He called on the Ugandan government to release political prisoners and stressed the importance of regional solidarity.
Njagi also commended the media and civil society organizations for their role in supporting human rights defenders, highlighting groups such as VOCAL Africa, Amnesty International, the Kenya Human Rights Commission, Defenders Coalition, and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights for providing crucial legal and advocacy support.
Earlier, the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) denied allegations that it is detaining two Kenyan activists, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who were allegedly abducted in Uganda.
Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi were arrested early on October 1 and whisked away shortly after they attended a political rally of presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine.
In his affidavit, Col. Silas Kamanda, a Director at the Joint Staff Legal Services, speaking on behalf of the UPDF, stated that thorough investigations have established that the two activists are not in the army’s custody.
“I, Silas Kamanda, a Colonel in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, currently serving as a Director at the Joint Staff Legal Services for and on behalf of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, in obedience to the writ herein, do satisfy and return that Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi are not in the custody of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces,” the declaration read in part.
“We have carried out investigations and searched all relevant detention facilities and records, including lockup registers and custody records, and found no entry relating to the said Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi between October 1, 2025, to date.”
