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A pair of Kenyan campaigners have been abducted in Uganda after their involvement in a presidential campaign event for Bobi Wine, according to accounts.

Heavily armed government agents detained Bob Njagi, the chair of Free Kenya, and Nicholas Oyoo, the organization's secretary general, at a fuel stop near Kampala on Wednesday afternoon.

Both individuals had allegedly journeyed from Kenya to Uganda on Monday to support Wine – actual identity Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu – at his political gatherings in the east of the country.

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

“They participated in the first rally in eastern Uganda and departed from the campaign trail and came to Kampala, where two of them were taken by government forces; some in police uniform and others in civilian attire and up to now their whereabouts is not known,” said Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan lawyer, journalist and critic of the government of President Yoweri Museveni.

“This is one more case in what is seen as cross-border suppression that has become commonplace in east Africa.”

Atuhaire and the Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi were themselves detained in Tanzania during a trip in solidarity of an political dissident. Both claimed they were assaulted and tortured before being dumped at their countries’ borders.

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

Atuhaire commented: “It points to two possible scenarios: that the three authoritarian [leaders] in east Africa are working together to crack down on critics, activists and journalists, or that they are fearful of a united east Africa and that’s why they use force on east Africans observed 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 kidnappings believed to have been aimed at critics of the Kenyan government. He was held without contact for 32 days for advocating economic changes and improved administration.

Wine, who is challenging Museveni in Uganda’s national vote in January, condemned the seizures.

“We condemn the continuing illegality by the unlawful government and demand that these individuals are released without terms,” the 43-year-old said on social media.

“The illegal administration seemingly abducted them simply for aligning with me and showing support with our cause.”

Uganda’s law enforcement representative, Rusoke Kituuma, did not respond to repeated calls to comment on the issue. The authorities has made no statement.

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