Personalities of the Year

COVER STORY | IAN KATUSIIME| A rundown of Ugandans who dominated the news throughout the year

Olivia Lutaaya

Olivia Lutaaya became the posterchild of resilience and endurance under repressive rule during her four years in jail while facing charges in a military court. Her alleged crime? Unlawful possession of explosive devices. Her baby face while appearing in the dock belied a quiet determination to regain her freedom. Facing a vengeful state that was out to break her and her co-accused, she broke down in tears after the court read them a guilty verdict. It was the only expected outcome for Lutaaya, an unwavering supporter of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP). Even when she was released after being coerced to plead guilty, Lutaaya never wavered in her conviction and her first stop was the NUP offices to reunite with her comrades.

Agather Atuhaire

The founder of Agora, an accountability NGO, led several online campaigns against corruption, abuse of office and human rights. Early in the year, she was behind an expose of documents showing the grand corruption and wastage of taxpayers’ money by Speaker of Parliament Anita Among. Agather, a journalist and lawyer also helped mobilise help for a widow whose house was demolished by NEMA in what many observers criticized as selective evictions. Agather was instrumental in the July 23 online protests on the corruption at parliament. In April, Agather’s profile soared when she received the International Woman of Courage Award from the US State Department in a ceremony at the White House. She also received recognition from TIME magazine when she was named among the most influential people of 2024.

Joshua Cheptegei

The long distance runner from Kapchorwa celebrated another milestone when he bagged an Olympic gold medal in the 10,000m race—the only one missing from his decorated medal haul—to immortalize his name as the greatest Ugandan athlete. He also set a new Olympic record at 26minutes and 43 seconds at the Paris games. Cheptegei retired from track and field athletics on a high after his second Olympics rodeo. In December, the government officially commissioned the high-altitude training centre in Kapchorwa that Cheptegei has worked hard to put together.

Bobi Wine

The president of the National Unity Platform continued to make headlines with his nationwide rallies to galvanise support for democratic change in the country. In March, Bobi fired his party vice president Mathias Mpuuga for engaging in corrupt practices when he accepted a Shs500m service award for his time as Leader of Opposition. Bobi Wine and his party held rallies in several parts of the country including in the diaspora for political mobilization as the party seeks to maintain a presence on the national political scene. The new NUP headquarters in Kavule, Kampala were a busy sight with several events ranging from official meetings to commemorations of those abducted and killed in the struggle to take power. In August, Bobi Wine has hit with a teargas canister that injured his leg while coming from a thanksgiving event in Wakiso. The altercation with police gave a glimpse of the tensions building up for the 2026 elections as Bobi eyes a second presidential run.

Muhoozi Kainerugaba

Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba was elevated to the position of Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) capping a meteoric rise in the army and in the political ranks thanks to his father, President Yoweri Museveni who has steadily held his son’s hand as the country navigates a tenous political environment. Muhoozi’s ill-defined party, Patriotic League of Uganda, has carried on with its political work based off the First Son’s prominence. The 50-year-old army chief has doubled down on his role as provocateur through his postings on social media in spite of his sensitive position that would ordinarily bar him from such. He was it again in December—musing on a possible military takeover of the war-torn Khartoum—to the chagrin of the transitional government in Sudan.

Isaac Ssemakadde

The new president of the Uganda Law Society was popularly elected by lawyers under a banner of Radical New Bar and using slogans like ‘Bang the Table’. He started off by expelling the Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka from the ULS Council on grounds that he had betrayed the legal profession in many ways. He has sparred with judges and insulted lawyers he disagrees with but Ssemakadde has given the law society, a body not many Ugandans are interested in, a new vibe. He has also come under fire for his crudity and obscenity but he seems to maintain the support of lawyers and non-lawyers saying he is the right man for the job.

Anita Among

The first term Speaker of Parliament has caused controversy and elicited strong condemnation from the Ugandan public due to her alleged corruption and theft of taxpayers money. She splashes millions on dressing, billions on houses, and has been sanctioned by the U.K. and the U.S. for her impropriety. Expose after expose, she surpasses herself in terms of diverting public finances. To quieten the backlash, Among has turned into a first family sycophant to keep her in the good graces of those who hold power including by kneeling before President Museveni at an event to in her home area. In spite of her scandals, she has intimated her desire to gun for a second term.