Journalist Agather Atuhaire is EU Human Rights Defenders Award Winner

A fearless female Ugandan journalist and lawyer, who is famous for exposing the ‘excesses’ and inefficiencies of the Ugandan Parliament and its Speaker Anita Annet Among, has been named the winner of the EU Human Rights Defenders (EUHRD) Award 2023. Agather Atuhaire was awarded for her “courageous efforts to shine a light on corruption and mismanagement in public life in Uganda,” according to EU in Uganda.

Atuhaire previously reported for Andrew Mwenda’s Independent Magazine before heading to law school and the Law Development Centre (LDC) whose alleged extortionist and dictatorial ways of doing things she exposed.

She beat investigative journalist and 2019 BBC World Komla Dumor Award Winner Solomon Serwanjja as well as gay rights activist Richard Lusimbo. “We applaud their work to shine a spotlight on abuses and support the rights of vulnerable and marginalised populations in Uganda,” EU in Uganda said in a short statement.

Speaking at the EUHRD Award 2023 Ceremony in Kampala, envoys praised Atuhaire, Sserwanja and Lusimbo for their work.

“These leading human rights defenders demonstrate that universal values are not just words that sound nice in a speech, but that they have a real life meaning and can transform people’s lives,” EU Ambassador to Uganda Jan Sadek said.

“Agather is a good example of the role an independent journalist can play in the fight against impunity and corruption,” added Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda Karin Boven.

Among other major stories, Agather Atuhaire exposed Speaker Anita Among and her deputy Thomas Tayebwa over the procurement of multi-billion ceremonial cars. (See Details Here and There).

Atuhaire was also on record for calling out parliamentary journalists for accepting a Shs50m and a car donation from Speaker Anita Among, and for ‘worshipping a goddess.’ (See Details Here).

You can also read our story on the EU human rights awards’ nominees, including finalist Lusimbo, a man famous for defending homosexuals HERE.

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