Agather Atuhaire: Uganda’s Fearless Activist Who Was Detained in Tanzania

Agather Atuhaire is a Ugandan lawyer, human rights defender and freelance journalist.

Born in 1988, Agather is known for her fearless reporting on corruption, natural resource exploitation, governance and the inner operations of Uganda’s parliament.

Education Background

Agather attended Ngoma Nungi Primary School and Rwengando Primary School in Sheema district.

She then joined Kinoni High School in what is now Rwampara district and later Allied School, Mbarara for her O and A levels.

Agather’s financial situation could not allow her to study law, which was her dream.

She ended up studying Journalism and Mass Communication at Makerere University and graduated in 2011.

Work Experience

After graduating, Atuhaire quickly established herself as a fearless and reliable reporter.

She worked for Endigyito (WEBS FM) and quit in March 2011 to join The Independent Publications. At The Independent, she first published business stories before crossing over to political reporting.

She would later grow, working with Daily Monitor, Uganda Radio Network and BBC.

Also Read: Pan-African Leaders Issue Demands After Boniface Mwangi Release

Lawful Course

In 2015, she rejoined Makerere University to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer.

She overcame the challenges of having to balance law school and being a mother to two very young children.

“For the first exam, I drove with the baby to school and left him in the parking lot with my twin sister to go and do the exam. That was still the toughest period of my life. Even after exams, it was a struggle. The child would be sick when you have coursework to hand in or an exam to sit for, and if the lecturer doesn’t understand, I would have to choose one, and the child, of course, is the priority,” she said in an interview with Capital Fm. 

Thanks to her determination, she finished her studies in June 2019 and graduated in January 2020.

After adding courtroom knowledge, Agather’s journalism was now not just about reporting facts, but it was now a tool for activism.

In 2021, her activism became pronounced at Law Development Centre (LDC) when she challenged its leadership over the students who had failed without even providing their results. 

LDC informed her and many of her classmates that they would not graduate after failing some papers. However, LDC did not offer the documentary proof of that. Atuhaire rallied other students and got help from some leaders, and they pushed for some reforms.

Some of them were resolved, and most of them graduated in July 2022.

In 2022, Atuhaire exposed how Uganda’s parliament had spent Ugshs 2.8Billion on luxury cars for the speaker and Deputy Speaker, despite the cars being already in good condition.

The story went viral and ended up putting Agather’s life being in danger.

She received numerous threats and was under surveillance as she was told to “back off”, which she didn’t.

This led to her co-founding AGORA, a digital civic platform that allows citizens to share information on public service delivery, human rights abuse and government accountability.

Agora became a vibrant online space under her leadership. She became a regular political panelist on NTV and NBS, and hosted Civic Space TV, a show focused on legislative transparency and civic engagement.

Her activism did not go unnoticed in the international stage as she gained global recognition.

Also Read: Martha Karua Welcomed in Uganda Days After Tanzania Deportation

Awards

In 2023, she received the European Union Human Rights Defender Award, acknowledging her courage in promoting human rights and good governance.

In 2024, she was honored with the U.S. International Women of Courage Award. She was also added to TIME100 Next list by the Time Magazine, celebrating the world’s emerging leaders and changemakers.

Dar es Salaam Arrest

On Monday 19 2025, Agather and Kenya’s Boniface Mwangi had travelled to show support for Tanzania’s opposition figure Tundu Lissu, who had a case in court for alleged treason.

The act was deemed subversive by the Tanzania government and a warrant of arrest was issued.

As of Thursday, May 22, evening, Agatha’s whereabouts remained unknown. Boniface Mwangi was, on the other hand, deported by road, and was found in Ukunda in the coastal county of Kwale. 

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