Kenyan Activist Bob Njagi Opens Up on Ugandan ‘Fridge’ Where They Were Detained

Kenyan Activist Bob Njagi Opens Up on Ugandan ‘Fridge’ Where They Were Detained

Kenyan activist Bob Njagi has broken his silence after enduring 38 harrowing days in detention in Uganda, describing the conditions as a “crime against humanity.” Njagi, who was held alongside fellow activist Nicholas Oyoo, revealed chilling details about the so‑called “fridge” where they were confined.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Njagi explained that the facility was located at a Special Forces Command Centre, one of several sites where hundreds of Ugandans are allegedly being held without charge or trial.

“They are being undertaken at the Special Forces Command Centre in Sarakasenyi, the training ground for the Presidential Security team, and they call themselves Next To None because they don’t take commands from the Judiciary, Parliament or the Executive,” Njagi said.

He claimed the detentions were being carried out under the authority of General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of President Yoweri Museveni and Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces.

“This is an armed militia that is operating under General Muhoozi. There are so many Ugandans there. I left over 150 of them in custody. People who are being held without any court process. Some of them have even been detained for up to one year. That is what they call the fridge,” he added.

Museveni’s Admission

Just hours after Njagi and Oyoo were released, President Museveni himself confirmed their detention, admitting they had been kept in the “fridge” for several days.

During a televised interview with UBC on Saturday night, Museveni boasted about Uganda’s intelligence capabilities.

“Of course, with our very good intelligence, we picked them up and they have been in the fridge for some days. Now, some Kenyan leaders rang me and said I should either put them in jail here or hand them back,” the President admitted.

He further alleged that the two Kenyans were working with opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine.

“We arrested two Kenyans but I do not remember their names. They were working with Kyagulanyi’s group and they are experts in riots,” Museveni claimed.

Release After Weeks of Denial

Njagi and Oyoo were finally freed on the night of Friday, November 7, and handed over to Kenyan authorities at the Busia border crossing. Their release came 38 days after their abduction on October 1.

Witnesses had reported seeing the two being taken by armed security officers at a petrol station near Kampala. Yet throughout their captivity, both the Ugandan police and military repeatedly denied holding them.

The revelations have sparked outrage among human rights groups, who argue that the use of secret detention facilities violates international law. Njagi’s testimony has intensified calls for accountability, with activists demanding that Uganda dismantle the so‑called “fridge” and release all detainees held without trial.

A Crime Against Humanity?

Njagi described the ordeal as a systematic abuse of human rights. His account suggests that the Special Forces Command Centre operates outside the bounds of Uganda’s legal framework, raising serious questions about state complicity.

Human rights defenders in Nairobi have already called for regional bodies such as the African Union to investigate. One activist outside the Kenyan Parliament remarked:

“This is not just about two Kenyans. It is about hundreds of Ugandans whose voices are silenced in these detention centres. The world must act.”

As the dust settles on Njagi and Oyoo’s release, the controversy surrounding Uganda’s “fridge” continues to reverberate across East Africa, shining a spotlight on the shadowy practices of detention and the urgent need for justice.

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Kenyan Activist Bob Njagi Opens Up on Ugandan ‘Fridge’ Where They Were Detained