KAMPALA, Uganda — The Ugandan government has formally requested access to detained investigative journalist and human rights lawyer Agather Atuhaire, who is believed to be in custody in Tanzania. Atuhaire was arrested in Dar es Salaam earlier this week while attempting to attend the treason trial of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
In a diplomatic note dated May 22, 2025, Uganda’s High Commission in Tanzania expressed concern over Atuhaire’s detention and formally requested both clarification on the grounds for her arrest and permission for consular staff to visit her.
Atuhaire, a respected Ugandan journalist and governance advocate, had traveled to Tanzania for a series of engagements, including attending a court session involving Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.
She was arrested on Monday alongside Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam.
While Mwangi was forcibly deported and abandoned at the Horohoro-Lunga Lunga border on the Kenya-Tanzania frontier, Atuhaire remains in detention.
The Tanzanian government has yet to publicly explain the basis for the arrests or confirm the current legal status of Atuhaire.
The continued detention of the Ugandan activist has sparked sharp criticism from civil society organizations and activists across East Africa, who accuse Tanzanian authorities of violating international norms and suppressing freedom of expression.
Atuhaire, born in Sheema District around 1988, is a Ugandan lawyer, human rights defender, and freelance journalist.
She has been recognized for exposing corruption and maladministration, earning accolades such as the EU Human Rights Defenders Award in 2023 and the International Women of Courage Award from the U.S. State Department in 2024.
