NAIROBI, Kenya — Amnesty International Kenya has confirmed that two activists, Mulinge Muteti and Julius Kamau, were arrested on Tuesday, October 28, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Nairobi, while seeking updates on the fate of Kenyan activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who were allegedly abducted in Uganda on October 1.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Amnesty said lawyers had already taken up the matter, writing: “Update: Mulinge Muteti and Julius Kamau are in custody. Lawyers are attending.”
Earlier, Amnesty had raised alarm that three activists — Muteti, Kamau, and Felix Wambua — had been arrested outside the ministry’s offices, where they had gone to demand accountability from the government over the disappearance of Njagi and Oyoo.
“After weeks of official silence, we are concerned that Felix Wambua, Mulinge Muteti, and Julius Kamau have now been arrested outside Foreign Affairs offices. The three were among a delegation seeking an update on the Ministry’s efforts to free Bob Njagi and Nicolas Oyoo,” Amnesty stated earlier in the day.
The two activists, who have been at the forefront of protests over the missing pair, were reportedly taken to KICC Police Station before being transferred to Central Police Station, according to social media updates from Muteti.
On Friday, the duo led a protest outside the ministry, accusing the government of complicity in the disappearance of Njagi and Oyoo. They demanded the resignation of Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, saying the government had failed to protect its citizens abroad.
“We are aware that the government is complicit in all this, and that is why we are demanding the immediate resignation of Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi,” Muteti said during the demonstration.
Njagi and Oyoo have been missing for 27 days, with both Ugandan and Kenyan authorities offering little clarity on their fate. Witnesses said they were abducted by armed men at a petrol station in Kampala, where they had travelled to support opposition politician Bobi Wine during a public rally.
A habeas corpus application filed in Uganda earlier this month failed to yield results, as both the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) denied holding the two Kenyans.
The incident has triggered mounting pressure on both governments, with Amnesty International, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and Vocal Africa launching a global petition last week demanding their immediate release.
Human rights groups have now urged the Kenyan government to secure the activists’ freedom and provide assurances on the safety of Muteti and Kamau, who remain in custody.
