Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has revealed a little-known connection between his family and that of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, disclosing that his late father, former Cabinet minister Zachary Onyonka, once hosted and hid Museveni in Kenya in 1978.
The late Zachary Onyonka was a prominent figure in Kenya’s post-independence politics, serving in key ministerial roles including Education, Trade, and Foreign Affairs under Presidents Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi.
He was widely respected for his influence in Kisii and his role in shaping Kenya’s early foreign relations before his death in 1996.
In a past interview, Senator Onyonka reflected on the arrest and release of two Kenyan activists in Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni’s comments on the matter, and recounted how his father once sheltered the Ugandan president.
He explained that in 1978, Museveni, then a fugitive fleeing former Ugandan President Milton Obote’s regime, sought refuge in Kenya and was secretly sheltered by his father.
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The senator highlighted the personal and political risk his father took during a period of high regional tensions.
"The question I want to ask the Ugandan President is this: in 1978 he walked into my home in Kisii; by that time, my father was a minister in the government. Museveni needed to be kept and hidden away from Obote's people.
"He brought his Ugandan people, who were teachers in a school my father owned. What would have happened if all of them had been killed? What would happen if my father handed over Museveni to Obote because at that time it was the best thing to do?" Onyonka paused.
The revelation comes after President Museveni confirmed on November 8 the arrest of Kenyan activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo, who were detained in Uganda for a month. Museveni said the two were arrested following intelligence reports and accused them of working with opposition leader Bobi Wine’s group “as experts in riots.”
Njagi and Oyoo went missing on October 1, 2025, after traveling to Uganda to show solidarity with Bobi Wine ahead of Uganda's 2026 presidential elections. They were reportedly abducted by four armed men who forced them into a vehicle.
The activists were released on the night of November 7 and handed over to Kenya's High Commissioner in Uganda, who facilitated their return to Busia, where they were received by County Commissioner Chaunga Mwachaunga.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei commended the Kenyan mission in Kampala for their efforts:
“Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo are free and on Kenyan territory. Late last night, after lengthy engagements, the two were released to our High Commissioner in Uganda, Joash Maangi. They were escorted by the Ambassador and officials of the Ugandan government to Busia border town and received by Busia County Commissioner, Chaunga Mwachaunga,” he said.
Upon landing in Nairobi, Njagi described the ordeal, alleging that they were detained by the Ugandan military and subjected to torture:
“Thirty-eight days of abduction were not easy. We didn’t think we would come out alive. We were held in military detention under the Special Forces Command. We will share details after receiving medical attention. We hadn’t eaten for some fourteen days, and it was extremely difficult,” he said.
