Nairobi — Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei has dismissed Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni's controversial remark that two Kenyan activists were "put in a fridge," emphasizing that it should be understood metaphorically rather than literally.
Speaking during the Quarterly Briefing on Foreign Affairs at the ministry headquarters, Sing'oei assured journalists that the two Kenyans, Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, were in good health.
"It is my belief that the President was speaking metaphorically rather than to suggest that there was anything that was done in the manner in which he described it," Sing'oei said.
"Our compatriots were apprehended by the military police of the Republic of Uganda, and to the best of our knowledge, they have been returned and are certainly in good health."
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Sing'oei explained that securing their release was complicated because the duo had been detained by Uganda's military intelligence under charges related to subversion, rather than by the police.
"It took a long time for them to return because they were being held by military intelligence under Uganda's law on subversion. This made engagement challenging, but we are very happy they are back with us," he added.
The remarks come days after Museveni, in a televised interview with the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) on November 8, acknowledged for the first time that the two Kenyans had been arrested by Ugandan security forces.
"We have got two Kenyans whom we arrested... they came and were working with Kyagulanyi's [Bobi Wine's] group. They are experts in riots. Of course, with our very good intelligence, we picked them up and they have been in the fridge for some days now," Museveni said.
38 days in detention
Njagi and Oyoo had gone missing on October 1, reportedly abducted by masked men following a political event linked to opposition leader Bobi Wine.
Their disappearance sparked outrage from human rights groups over alleged enforced disappearance and torture.
Following sustained diplomatic pressure, including "high-level engagement" between President William Ruto and President Museveni, the duo were released on November 7, 38 days after their disappearance.
Upon return, Njagi described being blindfolded, chained, and beaten during interrogations.
"I was tortured on the second day. They removed me from the cell, blindfolded me, and chained me to a chair. One officer would hit me while the other asked questions about our movement and its funding," he said.
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Oyoo described total isolation in a "safe house," cut off from sunlight, fresh air, and the outside world. Both recalled being given only painkillers and denied basic hygiene.
A joint statement by VOCAL Africa, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and Amnesty International Kenya condemned the torture and demanded a transparent investigation.
"Enforced disappearances and torture have no place in our region. We demand accountability from Ugandan authorities," the groups said.
