Investigative journalist and human rights activist, Mr. Ainomugisha Aaron has been attacked by yet to be known goons that left him troubled following months of his outcries in western Uganda. He has been recognized several times for his outstanding journalistic work including during Uganda National Journalism Awards-UNJA(2023) by African Centre for Media Excellence-ACME and other organizations.
On Tuesday, 21st April 2026, Aaron reported at a police post in Kakoba Mbarara city that he had received tipoff from some of his friends that a group of people were hunting for him just days after a separate physical attack.
“I reported a case SD REF 08/21/04/2026 and I tried to engage my friends. I feel abandoned and in serious trouble because since August last year I have been facing threats. I know am still being targeted and being trailed. I get serious threats and some I keep them to myself and my family”, Aaron narrates.
His situation worsened when he was attacked weeks after the January 2026 General Elections by a group of men on a motorcycle and they took off with his backpack containing his gadgets and equipment. He was also attacked 17th April 2026 in Kamukuzi Mbarara city. He says threats are increasing.
Aaron, who was in 2023 jailed for weeks after exposing corruption scandals and the harassment of sexual minorities in western Uganda,says most of the troubles have been escalating since then.
Aaron has been vocal through in-depth journalism and promoting collaborative reporting through Rise News Uganda Network and on air analysis on some radios highlighting different cases of oppression in the community.
“I have been targeted for years but the stories exposing political impunity and harassment against opposition politicians and other human rights violation cases in 2026 General Elections are causing me bigger trouble. Also getting weird calls,” he told our reporter.
Aggrey Twesigye, a local journalist and media rights activist told our reporter that he has always seen Aaron telling him that he is in trouble and sometimes goes into hiding for days.
According to Aggrey, he usually tells Aaron to share with few trusted friends because even some are being used by perpetrators to trail him. He says Aaron was harassed seriously during elections,and the internet had been cut of by the state.
Global media rights organizations continue to condemn attacks against journalists with different statistics by different organizations indicating that for 2025, state actors (police and security forces) accounted for approximately 80% to 83% of all recorded violations and physical attacks on African continent.
