Kenyan activist Bob Njagi, who spent 38 harrowing days in detention in Uganda alongside fellow activist Nicholas Oyoo, has spoken publicly for the first time about his ordeal and the grim conditions he witnessed.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday, Njagi confirmed that the notorious “fridge” which President Yoweri Museveni himself acknowledged exists within the Special Forces Command (SFC) facility. It is one of several secret detention centres where, according to him, hundreds of Ugandans are being held without charge or trial.
Njagi alleged that the operation is run under the command of General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces and President Museveni’s son. He claimed the unit responsible, known internally as “Next to None,” operates entirely outside Uganda’s legal framework, taking no directives from the Judiciary, Parliament, or even the Executive.
“This is an armed militia under General Muhoozi,” Njagi said. “There are so many Ugandans there I left more than 150 people still in custody. Some have been detained for over a year without any court process. That is what they call the fridge.”
Although he did not completely exonerate President Museveni, Njagi suggested that the Head of State might not be aware of the full extent of what happens inside the facility. He said the SFC operates independently, often without oversight or accountability.
Njagi’s chilling account adds to growing concerns about human rights abuses in Uganda, as activists and families continue to call for the release of those held incommunicado and for justice for victims of what he described as state-sanctioned abductions.
