Two Kenyan nationals have petitioned the Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala seeking unconditional release from state custody following their arrest during presidential campaigns last week.
The two—Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi—through Ugandan activists and lawyers from Kiiza & Mugisha Advocates, are seeking a writ of habeas corpus to compel four government respondents to produce them before the court and justify their continued detention beyond the constitutional 48 hours.
The application, filed on Monday, is registered as Miscellaneous Cause Number 281 of 2025. It lists as respondents the Chief of Defence Forces, the Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security (formerly CMI), the Inspector General of Police, and the Attorney General. The application, brought under Articles 44(d) and 23(9) of the Constitution of Uganda, Section 38 of the Judicature Act, the Human Rights (Enforcement) Act, and the Judicature (Habeas Corpus) Rules, is supported by an affidavit from Koffi Atinda, a Kenyan national and friend of the second applicant, Oyoo.
According to the affidavit, the two men were arrested on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, in Kaliro District, Eastern Uganda, while accompanying presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu, commonly known as Bobi Wine, on his campaign trail. Atinda says the two were seized by men dressed in both military and civilian attire, bundled into a Toyota Hiace van—commonly known as a “drone”—and transported to a military detention facility in Mbuya, Kampala.
He claims to have witnessed the arrest and narrowly escaped being apprehended himself. The affidavit further states that the two are being held incommunicado and have not been formally charged since their arrest. They have allegedly been denied access to lawyers, family, or any form of communication since October 1, 2025.
The lawyers argue that the detention is illegal, arbitrary, and violates the applicants’ fundamental rights to liberty, freedom of movement, dignity, and protection from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. They contend that the respondents have failed to justify the arrest or detention and have not produced the applicants before any competent court within 48 hours as required by law.
The applicants are described as Kenyan nationals, political activists, and civically active members of the African Movement and the East African Community, with a right to move freely within the EAC region. The affidavit expresses concern that the applicants may be at risk of torture or mistreatment and calls for urgent court intervention.
The application, supported by Koffi Atinda’s affidavit, is expected to be heard on a date to be fixed by the High Court. Through their lawyers, Kato Tumusiime and Eron Kiiza, the applicants are seeking their immediate release, production before the court, and costs of the application to be paid by the state.
The matter is yet to be allocated to a judge, who will then fix a date for hearing.