Female activist jailed for 'insulting' first family over free sanitary pads

A female activist and academic in Uganda is currently standing trial for cyber harassment against the government.

This follows her continuous advocacy for the provision of free sanitary pads to poor women in the country.

Stella Nyanzi uses social media to advocate for what she believes is the failure of the Museveni government to provide free sanitary pads for young Ugandan women.

President Yoweri Museveni and his wife promised to provide free sanitary pads for girls and poor women in the country during the campaign ahead of the country’s election in 2016.

However, they failed to deliver. They explained that the difficult economic times is the reason for backtracking on their promise.

Stella Nyanzi then took to social media to denounce Museveni’s 31-year old citing their lack of accountability as her reason.

One of her status updates on Facebook said the first lady who is often referred to as “Mama Janet,” said; “She will never be Mama Janet to me. I should visit her without protection during my next menstruation period, sit in her spotless sofas and arise after staining her soul with my menstrual blood! That will be my peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Uganda’s poor adolescent girls. Aluta continua!”

Her actions earlier got her suspended from her job as a social science researcher and anthropologist at Makerere University in the country’s capital.

She was arraigned on Monday, where she pleaded innocent to the charges levelled against her which include “disturbing the peace, quiet or right to privacy” of the president.

According to her Facebook page which is being kept active by her team, she is currently being held at Luzira Prison in Kampala.