BY ALEX BALUKU
Kasese, Uganda, May 11, 2024
The political persecution of opposition activist Faith Atholere has taken a grim turn, spilling over into her family life and leaving her husband hospitalized after a brutal assault by plain-clothed armed men searching for her.
Atholere, a 31-year-old midwife and outspoken Mobilizer for the National Unity Platform (NUP), has long been on the radar of security forces. She was arrested on April 25, 2024 and held for seven days at Makindye military barracks before being transferred to Nsambya Police Station on April 30. After two days of interrogation, she was freed on May 2 through the intervention of opposition lawyers.
But just over a week later, on the night of May 10, violence returned to her doorstep. Armed men in civilian clothes stormed her marital home in Kasese, demanding to know her whereabouts. When they failed to find her, they turned their wrath on her husband, Mr. Sekanjako Festo, beating him unconscious and leaving him for dead.
A Hospital Bed Turned Refuge
On May 11, reporters found Festo lying weakly on a narrow hospital bed at Bwera Hospital. His ribs were tightly bandaged, his left arm immobilized, and his speech faint but deliberate.
“They asked where my wife was,” he recalled. “When I said I didn’t know, they forced me down, pressed a gun to my chest, and kicked me until I blacked out. I woke up here in hospital, not knowing how I even got here.”
Neighbors said they had rushed to his rescue after hearing screams from the compound. Too fearful to intervene while the attackers were still present, they only emerged once the men had driven away in an unmarked van.
A nurse, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, described his condition as serious:
“He has internal bleeding, bruises across his back and chest, and difficulty walking. With good care he may recover, but his ability to return to full strength is uncertain.”
A Family in Fear
The assault has reverberated across the wider Atholere family, who now speak in hushed tones about their ordeal.
Her father, Mr. Bazil Baluku, looked weary as he stood at the hospital bedside.
“My daughter chose politics to stand for truth, but now the whole family is paying the price. Even the innocent are beaten, children are left without parents, and homes are no longer safe,” he said.
Her elder brother, Mr. Yunasi Muhindo, added that the family had attempted to seek reconciliation.
“We went as a delegation to meet the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) to plead for forgiveness on behalf of Faith and Festo. We thought perhaps dialogue would ease the pressure. But we were turned away without even being allowed to sit down.”
Officials Stay Silent
When contacted for comment, RDC Joe Walusimbui declined to respond, referring questions to the police. At Kasese Central Police Station, a spokesperson said the matter was “under investigation” and declined further comment.
This silence has only deepened the family’s sense of abandonment.
“We feel like we are on our own,” Baluku said. “If the authorities will not listen, who will protect us?”
Kasese’s History of Defiance
Kasese District has long been a flashpoint in Uganda’s opposition politics. In the 2016 general elections, residents overwhelmingly rejected ruling party candidates, voting instead for opposition figures. That legacy of defiance has made the region a constant target for heavy security deployment.
During the November 2020 protests, when opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine) was arrested in Kampala, several Kasese youths were reported among the more than 50 people killed nationwide. In 2021, local NUP offices were raided, and dozens of activists detained.
For Atholere, who became a chief mobilizer for NUP in Kasese in May 2020, this hostile environment has defined much of her activism. Her work, ranging from door-to-door campaigns to radio talk shows, put her on a collision course with security operatives.
Mr. Sam Baluku, the National Unity Platform (NUP) Parliamentary Flag Bearer for Kasese Municipality in the 2021 general elections, strongly condemned the brutal attack on Atholere’s husband, calling it a cowardly act meant to silence and intimidate.
He said the assault was not only an attack on an innocent man but also a message of fear to all families of opposition activists. “This is barbaric and unacceptable,” he said. “No government that claims to serve its people should resort to such cruelty.”
Baluku described Atholere as a tireless advocate for justice who has consistently stood with communities even beyond election seasons.
From mobilizing youth and women in villages, to engaging in radio discussions that challenged corruption and abuse of power, Faith has, in his words, “proven to be one of the most resilient voices for change.” He noted that her courage has inspired many in Kasese and across Uganda to believe that democracy is still worth fighting for.
Looking ahead, Baluku urged Ugandans and the international community to rally behind Faith and her family in their hour of need. “Faith’s persecution is not an isolated case, it reflects the broader suffering of opposition families across the country,” he said. “Her resilience must strengthen us all. We cannot allow fear to silence our struggle for freedom and dignity.”
The Wider Crackdown
The attack on her husband is part of a broader wave of state repression. In July 2024, police besieged NUP headquarters in Kampala ahead of planned anti-corruption protests, prompting Bobi Wine to accuse security forces of turning his party offices into “a military barracks.”
Earlier in February 2024, peaceful opposition gatherings were violently dispersed in the capital. And in May 2025, Parliament passed a controversial bill allowing civilians to be tried in military courts, something opposition figures say will further entrench authoritarianism.
NUP spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi condemned the latest assault in Kasese:
“The attack on Faith’s husband shows that this regime no longer stops at silencing opposition voices. It is now punishing families, instilling fear so that others will abandon the struggle. But we will not stop demanding justice.”
A Family Torn Apart
Meanwhile, Faith remains in hiding, fearing renewed abductions. Her children, Maria Felicia, Don Trevor, and dependent child Namugerwa Samantha Irene, are being cared for by relatives.
Her husband’s injuries mean he may never return to his previous work. Friends whisper that the family’s livelihood is collapsing, even as medical bills mount.
“The family is broken,” her father said quietly. “But we pray for justice, and for the day when our children can live without fear.”
For now, the hospital ward has become a place of both survival and uncertainty, its thin walls carrying the weight of a family caught in the crossfire of Uganda’s deepening political conflict.
