The previous 24 months for Sarah Babirye Kityo, the former president of Uganda Netball Federation (UNF) have been a roll-coaster of varying tales.
She boldly came out to fight for justice. Perhaps, the price she paid dearly entailed ridicules, humiliation, loss of her office post and imprisonment for abuse of office.
As fate would dictate; Babirye is seeing light at the end of the tunnel.
Babirye, a former legislator in the national parliament has been recognized among the winners for the 2024 Blueprint for Free speech whistleblowing.
Besides international recognition, Babirye also gets a special plaque and cash prize £2000 (Ug.Shs 8,400,000).
“The awards honour the bravery of whistleblowers who come forward in public interest” remarks Dr. Dr. Suelette Dreyfus (executive director for Blueprint for Free speech.
The judges panel was comprised of Dr. Suelette Dreyfus, Lor Hollick and James Catlin.
“One thing I have learnt is that as much as you fight, God will fight for you. When you fight the way I way I have fought, there are other people from the different parts of the world, in the continent and even with the country that can recognize you and see you as a heroine. It is well deserving. It will further relieve my heart and motivate millions of Ugandans” Babirye reveals.
Other winners:
On the African continent, this award has also been given to Nigerian paediatric doctor Obidike and her head of department at a training hospital in The Gambia Muoneke whose actions averted a deadly global crisis putting children’s lives at risk with toxic cough syrup.
Ravo Ramasomanana, public health official from Madagascar was rewarded for blowing the whistle on corruption in the Malagasy health service.
Three South Africans Sarika Lakraj Naidoo (finance director), Mbuso Ngcobo and Dorothy Mmushi.
In Europe, Germany’s Robert Herold, a Pharmacist was rewarded for exposing corruption and endemic overpricing in Germany’s chemotherapy provision.
In the United States of America; seven personalities were rewarded for revealing critical safety problems at Boeing, with implications for everyone who travels by air.
The seven were; John Barnett, Sam Salehpour, Roy Irvin, Joshua Dean, Sam Mohawk, Cynthia Kitchens and Santiago Paredes.
Impact award for positive social change:
Scott Smith (UD) was also singled out for his role in bringing accountability to those responsible for major chemical contamination in East Palestine, Ohio.
All the 2024 whistleblower prize winners received a specially designed trophy and will share the £21,000 prize money.
About Blueprint for Free speech:
Blueprint for Free Speech (Blueprint) is an Australian based, internationally focused not-for-profit concentrating on research into ‘freedoms’ law.
The areas of research include public interest disclosure (whistleblowing), censorship, right to publish, media law, Internet freedom, and freedom of information.
They also have significant expertise in whistleblowing legislation around the world, with a database of analyses of more than 30 countries’ whistleblowing laws, protections and gaps.
Blueprint fights for a world free of corruption, institutional wrongdoing, and oppression, in which each individual is able to take an active and informed role in society, and engage freely and fully in social, political and civic discourse.
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