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Two Kenya-based campaigners have been taken in Uganda after their participation in a election event for Bobi Wine, as per reports.

Heavily armed security operatives detained Bob Njagi, the chair of Free Kenya, and Nicholas Oyoo, the movement’s top official, at a fuel stop close to Kampala on midweek.

The activists had reportedly travelled from Kenya to Uganda on Monday to back Wine – real name Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu – at his political gatherings in the eastern region.

In a video from an event on Tuesday, Njagi could be seen on stage next to Wine, who heads Uganda’s National Unity Platform party.

“They attended the first rally in eastern Uganda and departed from the campaign trail and traveled to Kampala, where two of them were taken by government forces; partly uniformed officers and others in civilian attire and as of now their whereabouts is not known,” stated Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan lawyer, reporter and opponent of the government of President Yoweri Museveni.

“This is another incident in what is seen as transborder repression that has become commonplace in east Africa.”

Atuhaire and the Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi were themselves detained in Tanzania during a trip in support of an political dissident. Both said they were assaulted and mistreated before being dumped at their national boundaries.

Kizza Besigye, a well-known Ugandan political figure, and his aide Obeid Lutale were arrested in Kenya in November. Besigye was later accused with sedition at a military court martial in Kampala.

Atuhaire commented: “It suggests two possible scenarios: that the three authoritarian [leaders] in east Africa are collaborating to crack down on dissenters, activists and journalists, or that they are fearful of a united east Africa and that’s why they use force on east Africans being seen supporting their fellow east Africans who are targets of their repression – or both.”

Njagi was seized last year by masked men in Nairobi during a wave of abductions believed to have been targeted at critics of the Kenyan government. He was held incommunicado for 32 days for advocating economic changes and improved administration.

Wine, who is challenging Museveni in Uganda’s presidential elections in January, condemned the abductions.

“We condemn the continuing illegality by the unlawful government and demand that these individuals are released unconditionally,” the politician said on social media.

“The illegal administration apparently abducted them simply for associating with me and showing support with our movement.”

Uganda’s law enforcement representative, Rusoke Kituuma, did not reply to repeated calls to comment on the issue. The authorities has remained silent.

Museveni, eighty-one, has been in control in Uganda since 1986 and is one of the world’s longest standing heads of state.