Activists Launch Fundraiser for Spire Ssentongo After High Court Fine

A group of activists and human rights defenders has launched a fundraising campaign to support Dr Jimmy Spire Ssentongo following a High Court ruling arising from his dispute with Kampala International University (KIU).

The campaign, which officially begins Monday, is seeking public support for Ssentongo after the High Court ordered him to pay Shs10 million as a fine for contempt, Shs20 million to KIU as punitive or exemplary damages, and costs of the application.

The court further ordered that Ssentongo would be committed to civil prison for three months if he failed to pay the Shs10 million fine within 14 days.

The ruling was delivered on June 18, 2026, by High Court Civil Division Registrar Simon Kintu Zirintusa in Miscellaneous Application No. 0221 of 2026, arising from an earlier application filed by KIU.

The case stems from an earlier court order issued on December 17, 2025, restraining Ssentongo from continuing to publish what KIU described as unsubstantiated information damaging to the university’s name and reputation.

KIU had sought more severe financial penalties, including Shs1 billion in punitive and exemplary damages and Shs200 million as a fine for the alleged violations.

However, the court ultimately awarded Shs20 million in punitive and exemplary damages and imposed a Shs10 million fine.

The fundraising campaign is being coordinated by activists who argue that the case has implications beyond Ssentongo personally, particularly for freedom of expression and public accountability.

Dr Jimmy Spire Ssentongo is a Makerere University senior lecturer, Uganda Martyrs University associate professor, author, columnist, award-winning editorial cartoonist and human rights activist known for his commentary on governance, corruption and public accountability.

Human rights lawyer Eron Kiiza has backed the campaign, arguing that while courts have the power to impose fines, the public should not allow Ssentongo to be silenced.

“Courts can fine him. But we shouldn’t allow them to silence Spire,” Kiiza said.

The campaign organisers have urged members of the public to contribute towards the financial obligation and to use the case to raise wider awareness about the balance between institutional reputation, court orders and freedom of expression.

Contributions can be sent via MTN Mobile Money to +256 776 462727, registered in the name of Agather Atuhaire, with the reference “SPIRE”.

The organisers say the formal fundraising campaign begins Monday, although supporters have already been encouraged to contribute over the weekend.

They argue that Ssentongo’s case raises questions about the ability of individuals to publicly criticise powerful institutions, particularly where the criticism arises from complaints or disputes involving members of the public.

The controversy follows a wider legal battle between Ssentongo and KIU in which the university accused him of conducting a smear campaign through his social media posts.

Ssentongo has maintained that his posts concern matters of public interest and has previously argued that his commentary is based on complaints and communications from students, former staff and members of the public.

The court, however, found that he continued publishing material after becoming aware of the December 2025 order and held that an appeal against the order did not, by itself, suspend his obligation to comply with it.

“I therefore find that the Respondent had the ability to comply and he failed to comply,” the ruling states.

The fundraiser has also revived questions among some legal practitioners about the jurisdiction and powers of registrars in proceedings of this nature.

Those questions, however, would require determination through the appropriate legal challenge and should not be treated as an established finding against the court or the registrar.

For the campaign organisers, the immediate objective is to prevent the financial order from becoming a route to Ssentongo’s imprisonment while drawing public attention to what they consider a broader threat to freedom of expression.

They say the case should prompt Ugandans to examine how institutions respond to criticism and whether legal action can have a chilling effect on people who raise complaints or question institutional conduct.

The fundraising campaign therefore seeks to turn public support for Ssentongo into a wider conversation about accountability, free expression and the right of citizens to scrutinise institutions that exercise significant influence over their lives.

The organisers are calling on members of the public to contribute and share information about the campaign, arguing that Ssentongo’s case is ultimately about more than one individual and one university.

It is, they say, about whether Ugandans should be able to question powerful institutions without fear of being silenced.