Across Uganda’s prisons, female environmental defenders endure brutal arrests, inhumane detention conditions, and systematic violence for the “crime” of peacefully defending their land and communities. This collection of testimonies from Luzira Women’s Prison exposes the devastating human cost of environmental activism in Uganda, featuring seven courageous women who continue to fight for justice despite unimaginable suffering.
• 33 attacks on women human rights defenders recorded between January-June 2025
• 7 featured activists currently detained or recently released from Luzira Prison
• 90+ days average detention for peaceful environmental protests
• 100% of detained women denied adequate medical care and sanitary products
Phiona Nalusiba, 40-year-old
I did nothing wrong. I only spoke for the earth that feeds us and the people whose lives depend on it. For that, I was treated like a criminal
A single mother of six, Phiona lost her small restaurant and saw her children chased from school after being arrested for a peaceful protest. She endured 90 days in Luzira Prison, where she developed severe infections from inhumane conditions and was forced into hard labor that caused a lasting back injury
Key Details:
· Arrest Date: April 23, 2025
· Charges: Public Nuisance
· Detention Period: 90 days
· Current Status: Released on Bail
· Major Health Impacts: Severe urinary tract infection, chronic back pain from forced labor
Nalwadda Shammy, 25-year-old
They can force my hands to dig, but they cannot bury my voice
A youth leader, Shammy lost a crucial opportunity to take German language classes funded by her employer due to her detention. She faces abuse and chronic illness in prison and is forced to perform dangerous, unsanitary labor
Key Details:
· Arrest Date: August 1, 2025
· Charges: Public Nuisance
· Detention Period: 3+ months (still detained)
· Current Status: Still in Detention
· Major Health Impacts: Skin infections, physical exhaustion, loss of future career opportunity
Kyosimere Joweria, 25-year-old
They can hurt my body, but they can never imprison my hope
A mother of three, Joweria was brutally beaten with an electric wire and scratched with long nails by police officers, leading to a spinal cord injury. She was arrested twice, and her cases were only dismissed after she suffered significantly
Key Details:
· Arrest Dates: May 21, 2025 & April-June 2025
· Charges: Public Nuisance, Obstruction
· Detention Period: Multiple stints
· Current Status: Released (cases dismissed)
· Major Health Impacts: Spinal cord damage, open wounds from assault, chronic back pain
Teopista Nakyambadde, 24-year-old
They can beat us, imprison us, and humiliate us, but they can never imprison our hope
A single mother of a one-year-old, Teopista was pepper-sprayed and beaten during her arrest. She suffers from the pain of separation from her son and the degrading conditions of prison, where she is forced to do hard labor without protection
Key Details:
· Arrest Date: August 1, 2025
· Charges: Public Nuisance
· Detention Period: 3+ months (still detained)
· Current Status: Still in Detention
· Major Health Impacts: Skin infections, rashes, severe psychological distress from separation from her child
Dorothy Asio, 20-year-old
They may have taken my freedom and my chance to say goodbye, but they have not taken my purpose
The youngest of the group, Dorothy was the sole caregiver for her sick mother. While she was imprisoned, her mother passed away, and she was denied bail to attend the burial. She endured pepper spray and hard labor in detention
Key Details:
· Arrest Date: August 1, 2025
· Charges: Public Nuisance
· Detention Period: 3+ months (still detained)
· Current Status: Still in Detention
· Major Health Impacts: Psychological trauma from losing her mother while incarcerated
Martha Amviko, 27-year-old
They tried to silence me with fear, pain, and isolation. But I will never stop. My voice is my only weapon
Martha was threatened with disappearance by security forces and endured multiple arrests. The poor sanitation in Luzira Prison caused a severe infection that required surgery after her release. She now suffers from anxiety and depression and has been ostracized by her family.
Key Details:
· Arrest Dates: May 29, 2024 & August 26, 2024
· Charges: Common Nuisance
· Detention Period: Several months
· Current Status: Released (case dismissed)
· Major Health Impacts: Chronic infection requiring surgery, anxiety, depression
Rahuma Namuddu, 21-year-old
They wanted to silence me with pain and fear, but instead, they made my voice louder
A young single mother from Entebbe, Rahuma was brutally beaten during her arrest, causing a blood clot in her ribs. She faced humiliation and medical neglect in prison, lost her job and home, and was disowned by her family for her activism.
Key Details:
· Arrest Date: April 23, 2025
· Charges: Public Nuisance
· Detention Period: 8 days
· Current Status: Released on Bail
· Major Health Impacts: Blood clot in ribs from beatings, severe chest pain, psychological trauma