YEAR IN REVIEW: April 2017
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPNDENT | April 10: Dr. Stella Nyanzi, the controversial research fellow of Makerere University’s Institute of Social Research (MISR) was sent to Luzira Prison for allegedly using social media platforms to offend President Yoweri Museveni and the First Lady, Janet Museveni, who also doubles as the Minister of Education and Sport.
Nyanzi who gained global notoriety in 2016 for stripping in protest against her alleged mistreatment by MISR boss Mahmood Mamdani, alleged used her Facebook postings to harass the First Family.
She was charged with two counts related cyber-crimes and denied the charges. He jailing drew local and international attention to the case, and Amnesty International, the renowned UK-based human rights campaign group declared her a prisoner of conscience in a statement released on April 19.
She was eventually released in May after a month in jail and removed from the MISR programme.