Kiiza Eron

Eron Kiiza (born August 12, 1983) is a Ugandan poet, lawyer, and environmentalist. He is the co-founder of Kiiza & Mugisha Advocates and CEO of The Environment Shield Limited. He is an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda, a member of the Uganda Law Society and the East African Law Society. Eron was nominated for the 2022 European Union Human Rights Defender of the Year award. He was awarded by the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda in 2020 as the Central Uganda Human Rights Defender of the Year. He was also recognized by LASPNET as an outstanding Public Interest Lawyer in 2022.

Early life and education Eron was born at Kabale Hospital in Kabale District in western Uganda to Asiimwe Maud (mother) and Mbabazi Alban (father) and was brought up in Ntungamo District. Eron also spearheaded the campaign against the degradation of Bugoma Forest in Hoima District in the North Western part of Uganda. Eron was the lawyer and advocate to Ugandan novelist and author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija during his trials.

Eron also led climate and environment activists to save and advocate for the conservation of Bugema Forest against Justice Ssekaana and they won.

On January 7, 2025, Mr Kiiza, as one of the key lawyers in opposition figure Kizza Besigye's trial before the military court in Uganda, was convicted (without trial/hearing) on charges of contempt of court for "banging the angle bars and not listening to the chairman of the court" and sentenced to nine months in prison, which was largely seen as part of the Ugandan regime's unjust and unlawful mistreatment of whoever tries to challenge it, including lawyers in general.

Personal life Eron is married to Sylvia Tumwebaze and the couple has two daughters. He enjoys pumpkin, sweet potatoes, indigenous mushrooms, and indigenous chicken as the foods he likes most.

Awards

2022 LASPNET outstanding Public Interest Lawyer. Central Uganda Human Rights Defender of the year. Notable nomination. Nominated for 2022 EU HRD of the year.