From Refuge to Repression: Kisii Senator Slams Museveni Over Kenyan Activists’ Torture

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has condemned Uganda President Yoweri Museveni over his recent crackdown on dissent. He focused on the torture of two Kenyans detained in Kampala. Activists Nicholas Oyoo and Bob Njagi were held for 38 days for allegedly mobilizing protests. They endured harsh treatment and feared for their lives before being released on November 7, 2025.

Onyonka expressed shock at Museveni’s disregard for human rights. He recalled that in 1978, Museveni sought refuge in Kisii. Onyonka’s family sheltered him and other anti-Obote fighters. “In 1978, he walked into my home in Kisii. My family offered him protection from Obote’s forces.

How fair is it now to persecute those who challenge him?” the senator asked. He questioned why a man who once benefited from asylum now targets critics.

The senator also criticized Museveni for boasting about intelligence operations in Kampala. These operations tracked and detained people considered threats. Onyonka warned such measures risk turning East Africa into a hub of dictatorship.

He said Oyoo and Njagi were lucky to survive a death-prone environment. He stressed that leaders should respect differing views. He reminded the region that Museveni himself once faced life-threatening risks in Kisii. Onyonka called for justice, democracy, and restraint in governance.

His remarks come amid growing concern over human rights violations in Uganda, highlighting the need for regional accountability and protection of citizens’ freedoms.