Spire shortlisted among top three Human Rights Defenders

The European Union in Uganda, in partnership with the Embassy of Norway, has April 2, 2024, shortlisted Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo as one of the top three 2024 EU Human Rights Defenders.

The Award, which is now in its 13th year, is given to a human rights defender who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of human rights in their community over the past twelve months.

The EU applauded Ssentongo for using his public platform to highlight issues of accountability through “exhibitions” on social media, which has earned him significant praise but also threats due to his exposure of wrongdoing in public life.

Ssentongo is a Ugandan professor, academic, columnist, portraitist, author, and editorial cartoonist.

According to the European body, despite the risks, he has continued to share information and take part in public debates aimed at improving the quality of public service in Uganda.

The other human rights defenders shortlisted include Jesca Ruth Ataa and Doreen Kyazze.

Jesca Ruth Ataa is a human rights defender from Kotido, Karamoja. She leads Nakere Rural Women Activists (NARWOA), an umbrella community-based organisation for women’s groups.

NARWOA responds to humanitarian crises and addresses cross-border and inter-ethnic political instability, the rise of warlords, domestic violence, and discrimination of women in society. NARWOA has reached over 15,000 women and 250,000 children through programs aimed at appropriate and viable income-generating activities.

Doreen Kyazze is a lawyer and human rights activist. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in law and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Center Kampala. During the past fourteen years, including her time at Penal Reform International, Doreen has campaigned against the death penalty and worked hard to secure the rights of women in detention.

She has worked across the region to push for a model law on crime prevention in Africa and has also trained police, prison staff, and others in the justice sector. She has also been active in drafting progressive laws and policies in Uganda.

According to EU the winner of the EU Human Rights Defenders Award 2024 will be announced during a ceremony in Kampala hosted by the Embassy of Denmark on 2nd May 2024.