Agora: Activists targeted in accountability claims, laugh it off

Prominent Ugandan activists face corruption accusations over donor funds, targeted by critics, but they dismiss the claims as baseless attacks driven by envy and ulterior motives.

THE ISSUE | Prominent Ugandan activists face targeted attacks and corruption allegations over donor funds, dismissing claims as baseless, while critics accuse them of failing to account for the money.

Celebrated social media activists Agather Atuhaire, Godwin Toko and Dr Jimmy Spire Ssentongo are tasting a dose of their own medicine following a barrage of what they say are targeted attacks on their credibility and works.

The trio, who have gained much attention and won global awards for their activism in justice, rule of law and accountability issues, stand accused of financial impropriety in relation to donor funding they allegedly received.

However, while US-based journalist Remmy Bahati and human rights activist Hilary Taylor as well as controversial lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde have been punching and kicking wildly, the accused trio are laughing it all off.

On Tuesday, Mr Ssemakadde, founder and executive director of Legal Brains Trust - a democracy and human rights watchdog - called out the trio and their organization, Agora Centre for Research Ltd.

In a statement addressed to the attention of USAID in Uganda, US Embassy in Kampala, and relevant authorities, he accused the activists of deviating from the intended goals of the USAID-CIPESA project, which was supposed to support democratic discourse in Uganda.

Instead, Mr Ssemakadde claims that Agora has responded to calls for transparency and accountability with defensiveness, privacy violations, intimidation, and harassment of dissenting voices.

"This behaviour is unacceptable, especially because it involves American tax dollars and could undermine democratic values promoted by USAID," he said.

"We urge Agora to correct their course, adhere to the original grant objectives, and respect democratic engagement, privacy, and non-discrimination principles."

Ms Bahati, a former journalist with this publishing house's parent company, Next Media Group, said she is an American taxpayer, and the "money you're using to make noise is coming from my pocket".

She threatened to take Mr Toko directly to Dr Monde Muyangwa, the USAID Assistant Administrator for Africa, to compel her to "scrutinise your questionable activism and ensure our funds are supporting democracy, not hooliganism".

"I’m fully capable of taking that step, and I will if necessary. If we’re funding you/ NGOs, they must uphold the highest standards," she said.

Mr Toko, in a response on X, took the steam out of the threat by sharing a rib-cracking teaser about how Ms Bahati had scared the wits out of him.

The critics, especially Taylor who goes by the handle name Justice Hunter on X, formerly Twitter, have accused the trio of refusing to respond to accountability queries they are demanding.

But Spire said they initially tinkered with the idea of responding officially but decided against it "since their interest is not really clarification or information - it is to damage".

"Even where we individually clarified, you saw the responses," he told the Nile Post.

"Then the online tabloid extending it to character assassinating me. There is nothing they are directly asking for, apart from echoing accountability."

Mr Marlon Agaba, executive director of Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda, leaped to the defence of the Agora activists, saying NGOs do not throw their accountability on social media as the Justice Hunters are demanding.

Mr Agaba said Agora is a new anti-graft watchdog that should be given time to grow.

"They may make a few mistakes here and there, but we need them in this space, and they should be supported to grow and not attacked," he said.

"NGOs by their nature fundraise and receive funding from donors. Most of these donors are in western Europe and USA. Agora as an NGO is entitled to fundraise and implement activities in line with their mandate. They have also published their funders.

"I haven’t seen any report where any donor has accused them of impropriety, and knowing the strictness of donors like USAID, if there were any financial issues, they would act immediately."

 

Habibi, I am super scared now; I can't even eat or think properly! @BahatiRemmy who addressed an EMPTY room filled with echoes and claimed she was speaking to presidents is threatening to report me to USAID Assistant Administrator for Africa and she has even posted a photo they… https://t.co/68ajNYxyqU pic.twitter.com/6EI7JWmbqg

— TOKO (@GodwinTOKO) August 20, 2024

Ms Atuhaire told the Nile Post that Spire sought to understand what the issues that needed their response were; whether it is receiving funding or not executing the activities funded.

"This wasn’t explained," she said, adding that they indeed have funders whose information are publiished on their website.

"They [the funders] have supported our activities since November last year. Needless to say that even before that Agora and individuals like Spire, Godwin and myself were already doing activism," she said.

But Mr Ssemakadde, in his Tuesday statement, threatened legal action against Agora "to protect the rights and safety of individuals targeted by Agora's malevolent actions".

Where did it all come from?

Ms Atuhaire has won two major justice-related awards in the past two years - including this year's the US State Department's Woman of Courage Award -, and Spire recently got one for the collar too.

Over the years, their activism have transcended major borders from exposes that invite the public to share issues to directly exposing accountability flaws in public offices.

They have also channeled resources into advocating for justice for victims of state repression, the most recent being the youth who staged the March to Parliament in which dozens were arrested.

The Agora activists raised more than Shs30 million from well-wishers, monies Ms Atuhaire and others who received fully accounted for on social media.

However, all this happened amidst accusations that the trio was receiving huge sums green bucks from foreign agents to fund youth anti-government activism - claims Ms Atuhaire has denied.

"They said Agora received $200,000 (for protests), we said no foreign funding has been received by Agora during organisation of or after the protests," Spire said.

"They said it was deposited on Agora’s dfcu account. We said Agora has no account in dfcu. Then they said Spire also got money for protests and stole it. I have never received any foreign personal funding for any project!

"Then they said Spire is an alcoholic. I hardly drink or go to bars, except on social functions where I can take maximum of two bottles."

When the activists opened war on Parliament in March leading to damning exposes of obscene spending by the Office of the Speaker as well as gross corruption allegations, they appeared to have marked themselves for much more than they are receiving now.

Ms Atuhaire has reported that she is being threatened by security persons who allegedly trail her. She said they have called her sister in the recent past to warn they could harm her anytime.

Spire, too, reported receiving death threats.

However, while the activists might have expected such, what they did not see coming was activists they would expect to ride the same bus with them to be the ones coming out all gung-ho on them.

The Nile Post has obtained verified information but with no solid proof that one of the critics of the Agora trio is a seasoned quid pro quo who speaks with the tongue on bank balances.

 

#day5 agora smoking gun!

chatgpt pro-pesa @spirejim, @aagather @godwintoko & @agoracfr haven’t debunked me b’se they know i’m speaking truth to power.

i asked a basic true/false question but they are all giving non answers! where does this leave their integrity?#hypocrisy 101 pic.twitter.com/2LF85yJT5F

— justice hunter 🇺🇬🇺🇸 (@hillarytaylorvi) August 20, 2024

However, Ms Atuhaire picked another possible angle, suggesting that the "attacks" were driven by envy  from people who think they have “stolen” the limelight from them.

"For example, Ssemakadde has wanted to co-opt us in so many things; the first one was when he wanted to co-opt me in his campaign to abolish LDC [Law Development Centre] during the time I was fighting against the injustices and abuse students are subjected to at that institution. I refused and he didn’t take that well," she said.

"Then he started attacking us for being lazy online activists who have ruined physical activism. I wonder how online activism stops other people from doing physical activism."

Ms Atuhaire said Mr Ssemakadde, a rebel lawyer known for his unconventional approaches, approached Agora to issue a statement about his pending arrest.

"We didn’t have any facts about it and couldn’t just jump into something we had no idea about," she said.

"Before we knew it, he had forged Agora’s logo and put out a statement. Toko asked him to put it down or else we go online and disown it. He started abusing us again."

Mr Toko told the Nile Post Agora would not respond officially to the claims but on X, he spilled some beans, saying Mr Ssemakadde reached out to him and some lawyers on the legal team during the recent fight to bail out youth protesters.

"Among others, he asked if there was money to facilitate the lawyers helping those arrested in relation to March to Parliament," he said.

"When we told there wasn't any money and it was all pro bono, none of us have heard from him since. I am not saying he was all about money, just saying when he learnt there was no money for lawyers he went mute."

Some of the allegations this publication has seen was that Mr Ssemakadde had received funding from an NGO to curate some legal files but had vanished into thin air.

Put this to Mr Ssemakadde, he told the Nile Post that the "distractions" are not necessary.

"Our concern is self-explanatory as stated in the notice you have read. We hope they'll heed the caution," he said.

But Ms Atuhaire was not done. She shared several screengrabs furnished to her by other persons with varied claims accusing Mr Ssemakadde of a raft of impropriety.

But in one screengrab, Ms Atuhaire told an informer that Agora had opted to avoid a confrontation and let the "attackers tire themselves out".

Definitely, jumping into the mud for a pig wrestling would have worsened the stains. Mr Ssemakadde left no veil on how he would respond to the allegations.

"It's a pity that they have to resort to a breach of privacy and a breach of trust in their campaign of harassment against those who they disagree with," he said.

"If they continue on that trajectory without remorse, legal action against them will be inevitable."

Mr Agaba, of Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda, said the war on corruption that the Agora trio have taken up exposes them to risks of hits.

The corrupt are powerful and they will always fight back," he said.

"The people asking for accountability on X are just detractors whose main objective is to divert Agora from their work."

Mr Agaba advised Agora is not to give them [the critics demanding accountability] so much attention, but to reflect on what has been said and improve continuously.