Satire with courage
Author critical of the government flees Uganda
2/10/2022 3:56 am
A prominent satirist and writer from Uganda – who has won awards for his journalistic bravery – was arrested last year. According to his own statements, he was tortured in detention. Now he has to flee his home country. He is accused of insulting the President.
After criticism of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, the renowned writer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija fled his East African homeland. His lawyer Eron Kiiza said he left the country out of fear of possible arrest and “to save his life”. A court had ordered Rukirabashaija to appear in court in March for allegedly insulting Museveni and his son Kainerugaba Muhoozi.
The 33-year-old satirical author, who was named “author with courage” by the International Authors’ Association PEN last year, was arrested in the meantime at the end of December. Rukirabashaija said he was tortured in detention and recently showed scars and welts on his back on television.
He had previously described the president on Twitter as a “thief” and his son as “stubborn”. Muhoozi is seen as a possible successor to Museveni, who has ruled the country of 46 million people with an iron fist for 36 years. PEN Germany had made Rukirabashaija an honorary member of the association during his imprisonment.