Kakwenza Rukirabashaija

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Kakwenza Rukirabashaija
BornKakwenza Rukirabashaija
(1988-11-01)1 November 1988
Rukungiri District, Uganda
OccupationLawyer, novelist
NationalityUgandan
Alma materKyambogo University, University of Cape Town
GenreFiction, Satire
Notable worksThe Greedy Barbarian (2020); Banana Republic: Where Writing is Treasonous (2020)

Kakwenza Rukirabashaija (born 1 November 1988) is a Ugandan novelist and lawyer. He is the author of The Greedy Barbarian[1] and Banana Republic: Where Writing is Treasonous.[2] He was named the PEN 2021 Pinter International Writer of Courage Award .[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

Early life and education[]

Kakwenza was born on 1 November 1988 in Rukungiri District, South Western Uganda. He studied at several primary schools in the same district. He attended Kyamakanda Secondary School, Makobore High School and Kigezi College Butobere for O'level. He later joined Muyenga High School in Kampala for A'level[citation needed]. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Development Studies from Kyambogo University, a Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Cape Town and a Law degree from Cavendish University Uganda.[10]

Marriage[]

He is married to Eva Basiima.[11]

Life[]

On 13 April 2020, Kakwenza was arrested by security operatives from his home in Iganga and detained for publishing his first book The Greedy Barbarian[1] which they believed was about the person of President Yoweri Museveni.[12][13][14]

He was arrested again on 18 September 2020 after writing another novel, narrating his ordeal in the hands of his captors. The book is titled Banana Republic: Where Writing is Treasonous.[2][15][16]

In February 2021, Kakwenza sued the Government of Uganda for the torture he suffered at the hands of the CMI security operatives.[17][18]

On 28 December 2021 Ugandan security forces arrested Kakwenza after he had insulted Muhoozi on Twitter calling him obese and ridiculed his military training.[19][20][21] The arrest was condemned by opposition leader Bobi Wine and PEN International.[22][23][24][25] On 4 January 2022, a Ugandan court called for his release.[26] He was released for a brief home visit under armed guard that day. He showed visible signs of torture from the Ugandan police, including bloodstains on his clothing, which was removed by Kakwenza and kept by his wife. Pictures of his blood-stained clothing were uploaded to Twitter by Kiiza Eron, a Ugandan human rights lawyer.[27]Although the Judicial courts had retained his passport asserting that the premises for his request to vacate the country were weak, Kakwenza fled Uganda to neighbouring Rwanda in February 2022 fearing for his life. He arrived in Germany on 24 February 2022.[28]

Awards[]

  • 2021 PEN Pinter Prize International Writer of Courage [29][30][31]

Publications[]

  • The Greedy Barbarian[1]
  • Banana Republic: Where Writing is Treasonous[2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "The Greedy Barbarian". WhisperEye. March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b c "Banana republic". Blackstar News.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "Penwrites".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ "Ugandan novelist Rukirabashaija named 2021 International Writer of Courage | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  5. ^ "Kakwenza Rukirabashaija named this year's International Writer of Courage". The Guardian. 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  6. ^ "Uganda's Kakwenza Rukirabashaija named International Writer of Courage". Nile Post. 2021-10-12. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  7. ^ "Ugandan Novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija Named 2021 International Writer of Courage". News Central TV | Latest Breaking News Across Africa, Daily News in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Egypt Today. 2021-10-12. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  8. ^ "Kakwenza Rukirabashaija: Ugandan Author named 2021 International Writer of Courage". Gazeti App. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  9. ^ Biryomumaisho, Sarah. "Novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija awarded 2021 International Writer of Courage – The UGPost". Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  10. ^ Jjingo, Ernest. "Kakwenza Rukirabashaija: I am penning an erotic book". The Observer - Uganda. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  11. ^ "Detained Ugandan satirical novelist displays signs of torture on brief home visit". France 24. 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  12. ^ "Urgent Action: Activist Arrested for Criticizing the President (Uganda: UA 56.20)". Amnesty International USA. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  13. ^ International, P. E. N. (2020-10-02). "Uganda: drop all charges against Kakwenza…". PEN International. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  14. ^ Anyanwu, Faustina. "Kakwenza Rukirabashaija: Ugandan Author Tortured For Criticising the Government In His Book". C.Hubmagazine. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  15. ^ International, P. E. N. (2020-10-02). "Uganda: drop all charges against Kakwenza…". PEN International. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  16. ^ "Uganda: Freedom on the Net 2021 Country Report". Freedom House. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  17. ^ "Author sues govt over torture". New Vision. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  18. ^ "Critical book writer, Kakwenza sues government over torture". Nile Post. 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  19. ^ "Ugandan author arrested". BBC News. 29 December 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ "Ugandan satirical novelist and prominent critic of president arrested". Reuters. 28 December 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ "Tweet about Muhoozi". Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "Bobi condemns arrest of writer Kakwenza". Ekyooto.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ "Immediately and unconditionally release novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija". 30 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ^ "Ugandan author of The Greedy Barbarian detained - lawyer". BBC News. 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  25. ^ "PEN prize-winning Ugandan novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija illegally detained and tortured". The Guardian. 2022-01-09. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  26. ^ Ross, Will. "Africa Live: Court orders release of Ugandan author". BBC World Service.
  27. ^ "Detained Ugandan satirical novelist displays signs of torture on brief home visit". France 24. 4 January 2022.
  28. ^ https://www.independent.co.ug/novelist-kakwenza-rukirabashaija-arrives-in-germany/
  29. ^ "Ugandan novelist Rukirabashaija named 2021 International Writer of Courage | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  30. ^ "Kakwenza named this year's International Writer of Courage | Uganda". www.monitor.co.ug. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  31. ^ Rukirabashaija, Kakwenza (2021-10-11). "Kakwenza Rukirabashaija Is PEN's International Writer of Courage 2021". Open Country Mag. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
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