Ugandan Cartoonist Reveals Threats to His Life After Exposing Government Failures
KAMPALA, UGANDA: Dr Jimmy ‘Jim’ Spire Ssentongo, a well-known Ugandan cartoonist, has disclosed that his life is at risk following a social media campaign he led, which exposed corruption and inefficiencies within various government institutions in recent weeks.
Dr Jim Spire, who works as a columnist for the Observer newspaper and is a lecturer at Uganda Martyrs University, took to Twitter to shed light on the challenges faced by Uganda’s government institutions and called for corrective measures from the authorities.
The campaign began with the hashtag #Kampalapotholesexpo, highlighting the deplorable condition of roads in Kampala. This created panic within the government, prompting President Museveni to convene a meeting with the Executive Director of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Dorothy Kisaka. As a result, the Ministry of Finance was ordered to release UGX 6 billion to address the pothole issue in the capital.
Another significant part of the campaign was the Uganda Health Exhibition, during which Ugandan health workers, patients, and citizens shared their experiences regarding access to healthcare services. However, this drew criticism from the Minister of ICT, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, who stated on local television that the government would not lose sleep over citizens exposing poor road conditions and inadequate healthcare facilities.
https://twitter.com/SpireJim/status/1661096465798688768?s=20
In a recent development, just two days into the security exhibition that launched on Monday, Spire revealed that there are “evil plans” targeting him, although he did not provide further details. He also announced that he had done his best and would be taking a break. However, he warned those threatening him that more people would step up to demand better services and expose government failures.
“I am aware of evil plans against me. Well, I have made my humble contribution. I hope this country finds its soul. I hope a time comes when we ask ourselves: Is this the best we can be? I leave now…” Spire wrote, shocking his followers and many netizens.
Dr Kizza Besigye, the leader of the People’s Front for National Transition movement, responded to Spire’s decision, encouraging him not to give up. He advised that leaving the stage would not eliminate the “evil plans.”
“Hey Prof! I can imagine what’s going on around you. However, leaving will not take away the ‘evil plans’! You’re safer keeping your guard up — fighting to get rid of the source of ‘evil plans!’” Besigye wrote.
The Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party also expressed support, urging Spire to stand his ground and continue raising his voice on the issues, emphasizing that oppressors thrive in silence.
“Oppressors stifle the voices of freedom because oppression can only thrive where there is silence,” FDC stated in a press release.
Nicolas Opiyo, a human rights lawyer, responded, saying, “Prof, remember, no one kicks a dead dog. You have done your part. The rest is for history to judge. Keep the faith and keep on fighting the good fight.”
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