2 May 2024
Jimmy Spire Ssentongo, alias Spire, today received the EU Human Rights Defenders Award 2024, presented by the European Union in Uganda in partnership with the Norwegian Embassy. The award recognises Spire’s outstanding commitment to human rights in his country.
Spire was nominated in April for his campaign to challenge the Ugandan authorities on social media (see below). This campaign, combining text and press cartoons, earned him threats for calling for better public services and greater transparency in the management of public affairs in Uganda.
Cartooning for Peace congratulates him on this award and once again salutes his commitment to citizenship and his courage.
2 April 2024
Jimmy Spire Ssentongo is a finalist for the European Human Rights Defenders Awards 2024, awarded by European Union in Uganda, in partnership with the Embassy of Norway.
Excited to announce our 3 finalists for the 2024 EU Human Rights Defenders Award: Ms Jesca Ruth Ataa, Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo & Ms Doreen Kyazze. All 3 have done amazing work to promote #HumanRights over the past year.
A short description of their work: https://t.co/Abwp1Sz529 pic.twitter.com/tuz45lbMQK— EU in Uganda (@EUinUG) April 2, 2024
28 March 2024
Sarah Bireete, Ugandan lawyer and human rights defender, speaks out in support of Spire on X and condemns the threats he is subjected to: “Acts of threatening citizens for speaking up against bad governance and endemic corruption is very barbaric. Democracy is about wishes and demands of the citizens.”
Acts of threatening citizens for speaking up against bad governance and endemic corruption is VERY BARBARIC. Democracy is about wishes and demands of the citizens @KagutaMuseveni ~ Makerere staff petition IGP over threats against Dr Spire | Monitor https://t.co/sTZcTfOjC0
— Dr. Bireete Sarah (@SarahBireete) March 21, 2024
20 March 2024
Cartoonist Jimmy Spire Ssentongo threatened over online campaign against corruption in Uganda
Ugandan cartoonist Jimmy Spire Ssentongo, member of the Cartooning for Peace network, has received death threats after launching an anti-corruption campaign on X (formerly Twitter) – #UgandaParliamentExhibition – calling Parliament to account. This is not the first time that Spire has highlighted dysfunctions in his country through social media campaigns that have earned him threats. But this time, Spire’s fears seem to have gone up a notch. He said that Parliament had requested access to his communications data from the Ugandan Communications Commission.
I’m authoritatively aware that ‘Parliament’ has secretly asked UCC @UCC_Official for all my communication details and the job has started – including tracing who I talk to, what, when, where, where I stay, the time of day/night I last communicate, movements, etc. This may include…
— Jim Spire Ssentongo (@SpireJim) March 19, 2024
“Our attention has been drawn to renewed threats to the life of our member, Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo, which are circulating on Twitter among other media. We take these threats very seriously”. These are the opening words of the statement of support published on 20 March by Makerere University, where Spire teaches. It stresses that the anti-corruption advocacy that he carries out as part of his academic work and in his capacity as an intellectual is a matter of academic freedom, and calls on the authorities to protect him from any threat to his life and freedom. It also refers to the serious human rights violations committed in the country and reports recent cases of enforced disappearances, murders and attempted assassinations.
Cartooning for Peace is very concerned that Jimmy Spire Ssentongo is under threat and calls for his safety to be guaranteed. We will keep a close watch on his situation.
https://twitter.com/CartooningPeace/status/1770044549672456612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
26 May 2023
Cartoonist Jimmy Spire Ssentongo concerned for his life
Cartooning for Peace is concerned by the announcement made by Ugandan academic and cartoonist Jimmy Spire Ssentongo, who says he fears for his life after receiving reports of threats against him.
The cartoonist, who contributes to the defence of Social Justice in his country, has recently launched several participatory campaigns on social media aimed at highlighting dysfunctions in the field of road infrastructure (#kampalaPotholeExhibition), health (#UgandaHealthExhibition), and security (#UgandaSecurityExhibition).
The campaigns, to which the cartoonist contributes in cartoons, have gone viral and are said to be the reason for the threats against him. In the same message as the one reporting threats against him, he also announced that he was taking a step aside from the campaigns.
Cartooning for Peace, which had the opportunity to work with the cartoonist on a project in Kenya, is concerned about the announcement made by Jimmy Spire Ssentongo and calls for the authorities to guarantee his safety. The organisation, which will follow up the case, also regrets the constraint on the cartoonist’s free expression.
https://twitter.com/CartooningPeace/status/1662083525057605633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
