MUTUKULA, UGANDA — Ugandan journalist and human rights activist Agather Atuhaire has been located alive after several days of incommunicado detention in Tanzania.
Her family confirmed that she was released late Thursday night at the Uganda-Tanzania border crossing in Mutukula, reportedly in a distressing physical condition and without any formal deportation notice.
Atuhaire, who had been missing since her arrest in Dar es Salaam earlier this week, is now receiving care from friends and relatives who are facilitating her return to Kampala.
Close associates indicate that she is suffering from visibly swollen legs, injuries allegedly sustained from torture during her detention.
“She was beaten, particularly on the feet with blunt objects. Her legs are swollen and she is in pain,” stated a source familiar with her condition, who requested anonymity citing safety concerns.
Godwin Toko, deputy team leader at Agora, posted on X Friday morning:
“Finally, Agather has been found, and I have talked to her via her sister’s phone right now. She was picked from the border.”
Human rights activist Nicholas Opiyo also confirmed he has talked to her.
“Agather is on her way home. She was dumped at the Mutukula border last night – we spoke a little while ago,” he said.
The journalist had traveled to Tanzania to attend a court hearing involving opposition leader Tundu Lissu when she was detained alongside Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi. Mwangi was subsequently deported and left at the Kenya-Tanzania border earlier in the week.
Despite persistent inquiries from Uganda’s High Commission in Dar es Salaam and escalating regional pressure, Tanzanian authorities had consistently refused to disclose Atuhaire’s whereabouts for several days, leading to significant fears for her safety.
The forced removal and reported abuse of Atuhaire have drawn widespread condemnation from civil society groups, journalists’ associations, and diplomatic observers across East Africa.
Many are now calling for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances of her detention and treatment while in custody.
