Olivia Lutaaya and the price of courage in Uganda’s struggle for freedom

From hope to courage, anything now meaning resistance to oppression and human denigration is encapsulated by the name Olivia Lutaaya.

We often give less attention to courageous and uncompromised grassroots freedom fighters than we should. Do you know how the name Olivia Lutaaya is shaping the current political struggle for freedom, dignity, justice and democracy in Uganda?

When the People Power Movement arrived on Uganda’s political chess board in 2020 it brought with it many characters, from seasoned politicians to musicians, jobless youth, activists and media personalities who shook Uganda’s political arena in 2020, and continue to do so.

Many were compromised when offered money and positions by the ruling National Resistance Movement military government, while others who remained loyal to the cause of change faced brutality, abductions, torture, political imprisonment and enforced disappearances.

Despite the political imprisonments and oppression that took place, some People Power freedom fighters remained resolute – and one of the most outstanding of these is Olivia Lutaaya.

She is a mother of three children who was abducted and unlawfully arrested in December 2020, May 2021 and November 2025, and tried in military courts.

She spent four years in illegal detention after the state failed to provide any evidence against her, and instead resorted to coercing her and 32 others to plead guilty to charges of treachery.

In November 2024, Olivia and others were released on condition they take indoctrination classes in Kwankwanzi and denounce presidential hopeful Bobi Wine.

But unlike her male counterparts who accepted all the compromises in exchange for their freedom, Lutaaya rejected them and went back to the National Unity Platform, the home of the People Power Movement, and resumed her pursuit of a free, democratic and fair country for all.

In less than a year Lutaaya was imprisoned again after being illegally arrested in the Mbarara district, while on the National Unity Platform’s presidential campaign trail.

The footage of Lutaaya’s illegal arrest on television and social media showed a courageous face that was full of hope.

What drives Lutaaya is the hope and faith that a new democratic Uganda is being created through constitutional provisions for change, like elections.

Hope is the fuel that keeps one’s spirit going during the turbulence of life’s struggles, and it’s the fuel that keeps freedom fighters moving against all odds.

Lutaaya and other political prisoners’ candle of hope remains alight, even in prison, highlighting their courage and resistance. And it’s not easy to remain hopeful in a country where the majority of the population is resigned to the status quo and rule by a strongman for fear of political imprisonment.

The moment hope is lost, courage is easily lost. Many people have tried to walk in Lutayaa’s shoes but gave up early and surrendered before reaching the promised land of a new, democratic Uganda.

Olivia Lutaaya now represents the ideals of hope, courage and resistance against political and social injustices, and these values can no longer be kept behind prison walls but live in people’s hearts and minds.

Hope and faith are what drive Lutaaya, and all other courageous Ugandans who have endured political imprisonment in pursuit of freedom and a democratic Uganda.

Sadly, it is hard to find any sign of meaningful change happening any time soon.

Yoweri Museveni’s National Resistance Movement regime has mastered the art of keeping its grip on power through corruption, political imprisonments, propaganda, force and the application of unjust laws.

Uprooting the National Resistance Movement is next to impossible, which makes the dream of a democratic Uganda seem very far off. So Lutaaya and other freedom fighters are likely to stay prisoners of hope and faith for a very long time.

As the great Charles Bukowski said, the only time most people think about injustice is when it happens to them, but we must remember that an injustice against one person is an injustice against everyone, everywhere.

I therefore call for interventions from Amnesty International, the United Nations, human rights watchdogs, European Union and Commonwealth Secretariat to demand for the release of Olivia Lutaaya, Dr Kizza Besigye and thousands of political prisoners.

It’s high time for the international community to put a spotlight on the Ugandan government and force it to abide by international treaties against torture, arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearances and all forms of human rights violations. DM

Robert Kigongo is a sustainable development analyst and an editor, author and freelance writer for leading daily publications in Uganda.