Halima Athumani

Reporter for @voanews and covering Uganda. 2022 Pulitzer Finalist-Audio reporting. Member @FPA_Africa. Co-Chair @IPAUganda

[King Melvin @melvinnasasira]

In May 2013, the government of Uganda sent armed police to shut down the country’s biggest independent newspaper because it printed something the regime insisted was a lie. Thirteen years later, the man at the centre of that so-called lie has gone on Twitter countless times, unprompted, to tell us it was all true.

Let me take you back, because the story is almost too neat.

1/6

[TOKO @GodwinTOKO]

I guess the people who abducted @NinyeTabz, @eddie_mutwe, @MakokhaMugeni, Lukwago & others are still at church, or returning now, probably driving home as they hum hymns from church.

I guess that is also true for their wives, kids, & friend who probably prayed for God’s protection for their own lives, but didn't bother mentioning Lukwago - his wife or kids. Those who cheered on the abductions probably followed the same routine today.

We humans are very strange beings, actually!

[Jim Spire Ssentongo @SpireJim]

When abducters deny knowledge of a person they picked, the fate is likely to be like Sam Mugumya’s. After all they got away with disappearing Sam and nothing happened. Every successful act of impunity emboldens more impunity, in even worse forms.

[Agather Atuhaire @AAgather]

Let me respond to all the inquiries I’ve been receiving here at once: no, unfortunately I haven’t heard a single word about the whereabouts of @NinyeTabz😭 and it isn’t because I haven’t made calls and asked. The most concerning and dangerous reality of our country is the decentralized anarchy and the fact that the very security agents that are supposed to protect us are for sale to the highest bidder. Anyone with money now can hire them to abduct you and harm you. So it’s hard to even establish whether Tabz is being held by the state or by individuals he has rubbed the wrong way. We know a couple of them here. Either way, the burden is on the state to produce him or search for him. If they don’t, all of us as his friends will get up and march in search of Tabz. For God and my country. #FreeTabz #FreeAllPoliticalPrisonersUg

[ACHILLA @GiftGrace01]

Let’s not stop guys until Tabz is free.

#FreeTabz

[Merry Hearts 'Tumbeetu. @Merryheartsug]

Happy Fathers Day 🙏🙏🙏

[Crysto Panda @CrystoPanda]

Kano kabwongo nyooo😂😂😂😂

[Dr. Ekuru Aukot @EAukot]

The cat is out of the bag. Finally!
All the hullaballoo about Ebola and all that was a smoke screen to create a transit passage for minerals from the DRC and the region to the USA...unbelievable.
The imperialists have found a perfect stooge in Africa. There will be a backlash

[Brayo🇺🇬 @Ntalebrian22]

If the algorithm ever brings this to your timeline, say a short prayer for Tabz.

Kindly retweet this Widely🙏🏾

[Jim Spire Ssentongo @SpireJim]

Together with Tabz #StopKidnappingUgandans

[Erich Mboowa @erich_mboowa]

In the quiet valley, the shepherd searched for his young lambs and saw they had been taken, snatched into the shadows. Lambs aren’t meant for chains or dark rooms. They belong under the open sky, running free with their mothers.

Whoever is holding them… please open the gates. Let them come home.The whole valley is watching. Mercy is still here.
Free them.

[NUP Podcast @NupPodcast]

Tabz is courageous, strong, fearless and patriotic. He dedicated his skill to the struggle when he could have just pursued only his career, wealth, hosting exhibitions e.t.c. Regardless of what happens to him. He is our hero and thats how he should always be regarded.

#Weknowourheroes

[Agather Atuhaire @AAgather]

A few days ago, I received a call. Someone saw Sam Mugumya at the dungeon in Entebbe that he is being held in illegally, for almost a year now. He uses a walker that looks like the picture below. The information corroborates what @NUP_Ug supporter Asiku Raymond, who was held in the same dungeon, said early this year after his release. Raymond said he saw Sam and he couldn’t walk (you can watch the video). They crippled Sam and have also refused to release him for him to get the medical care he needs and the love and support of his family. His 82 year old mother has been living in anguish. #EndAbductionsUg #StopImpunity #FreeSamMugumya #FreeTabz

[Agora Discourse @AgoraCFR]

Sam Mugumya's mother says she is in so much pain as a parent, who doesn't know the whereabouts of her son. What is most troubling her heart is not knowing whether her son is alive or dead.

It is now day 297 since @SamMugumya was abducted.

#FreeUganda

[Ramah Kizito @RamahKizito]

Today, we rally our voices not in fear, but in solidarity. We call on all defenders of justice, human rights, and freedom of expression to speak up and keep this issue in the public eye.

Use your voice. Share the message. Demand accountability.

#FreeTabz

[Omupakasi @kutegyekaivan1]

i lost my phone & it was @NinyeTabz who stepped up & helped to recover it at zero cost, he has helped many other Ugandans in the same way, if u are involved in corruption, Tabz will challenge u without fear, that’s how patriotic he is

instead of government supporting him with more training & deploying him to serve his country better, he is being treated as the problem

wat lesson are young Ugandans supposed to learn from this? that fighting corruption is dangerous & keeping quiet is safer? i may not be silent about this matter

#FreeTabz

[yusuf kaplan @yenisafakwriter]

İsrail’in Gazze’de kullandığı soykırım silahlarının üretildiği yazılım sistemlerini çökertmek için “operasyon çeken” 5 aktivist Almanya’da yargılanıyor.

Gizli kahramanlar ve insanlığın yüzakı güzel insanlar onlar.

[MrHashtag🇺🇬 𝕏 @paulwebs1]

One day we felt like the Admin wasn’t listening to our concerns, so we started an early morning strike with the aim of mobilizing students to attack parliament. In all strikes, police made sure we don’t leave the gates of Makerere.

But Tabz came up with a military plan. We organized two battalions. One had to go via the main gate and another camouflaged non violently towards Kikoni. “Commander Paul, you move with me to Kikoni…”, he said.

So we sloped from freedom square via Lumumba and Makerere play grounds. Meanwhile, the other violent battalion was sloping towards the main gate and the entire police focused on those.

We successfully got out to Kikoni and we were joined by the Kikoni group from Kann, Douglas Villa, Baskon etc. We marched on but unfortunately we were intercepted around City Oil on Bombo road and dispersed. The march to parliament was unsuccessful, however a statement was made.

We had caused terror in the city and the media was on us. The next day, the admin recalled the policies and resolved the matter.

That was the Makerere Tabz of those days.

[Muhoozi Kainerugaba @mkainerugaba]

I want to switch off both @DailyMonitor and @ntvuganda. I will do it soon. I just need clearance from Mzee.