A legal challenge has been filed at the High Court of Uganda in Kampala seeking the immediate release of two Kenyan nationals, Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi, who are alleged to have been in military detention since their arrest on October 1, 2025. The court documents, seen by this publication, name Uganda’s top security officials as respondents in an application for a writ of Habeas Corpus.
The application, filed by M/S Kiiza & Mugisha Advocates on behalf of the two men, contends that Oyoo and Njagi were arrested by military operatives in Kaliro District, in Eastern Uganda.
According to a supporting affidavit sworn by Koffi Atinda, a fellow Kenyan and friend of the detainees, the arrest took place at Starbex Petrol Station while the two were on a campaign trail with presidential candidate Kyagulanyi Robert Sentamu.
Atinda claims to have witnessed the event, stating the men were taken away in a Toyota Hiace van, commonly known as a “Drone,” and driven at high speed towards Kampala.
The court filing alleges that Oyoo and Njagi are currently being held incommunicado at a military detention facility in Mbuya, Kampala, which is under the command of the Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security (CDIS), the second respondent in the case. The other respondents are the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Attorney General of Uganda.
The lawyers for the applicants argue that this detention is illegal and unconstitutional on several grounds. They state that the detainees have been held for more than 48 hours without being brought before a court or formally charged, a requirement under Ugandan law.
The application further describes the detention as “arbitrary” and a “blatant abuse” of their fundamental human rights, specifically citing violations of their right to personal liberty, freedom of movement, human dignity, and freedom from torture and inhumane treatment.
The affidavit of Koffi Atinda expresses “palpable concern” among the friends and family of the two Kenyans that they “could be subjected to torture…at the hands of the military.” It also claims their arrest was conducted without warrants by individuals in both military and civilian clothing.
The document identifies the applicants as political activists and civically active members of the African Movement and The East African Community (EAC), who were in Uganda to support Presidential Candidate Kyagulanyi.
The notice of motion requests the High Court to issue the writ of Habeas Corpus, compelling the respondents to produce the bodies of Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi before the court and to justify the legality of their detention.
The applicants are seeking a court order for their immediate and unconditional release. The case is scheduled for a hearing before the High Court in October 2025.
