(MENAFN) Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has admitted for the first time that two Kenyan activists, who were missing for five weeks, had been arrested in Uganda.

Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo were reportedly forcibly taken by masked men in uniform last month during a political event supporting opposition leader Bobi Wine. Their detention had been denied by authorities until their release was confirmed on Saturday.

In a live interview, Museveni described the activists as “experts in riots” and said they were put “in the fridge for some days.” He framed the incident within a broader warning against foreign influence, stating that “the ones who are doing that game here in Uganda will end up badly.”

The president indicated that the two men were released following calls from “some Kenyan leaders” requesting their return. Njagi and Oyoo were greeted by supporters at Nairobi’s main airport on Saturday. Njagi said, “Thirty-eight days of abduction was not easy. We didn't think that we were going to come out alive because we were being abducted by the military.”

Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi confirmed the release resulted from “sustained diplomatic engagement between Kenya and Uganda.” Activist group Vocal Africa, which had campaigned for their freedom, hailed the release as a positive step toward protecting human rights for East Africans within the East African Community.

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