Meet Our Team
Dedicated professionals working to protect and empower human rights defenders across the East and Horn of Africa
Executive Leadership
Our senior leadership team guiding DefendDefenders' mission and vision
Hassan Shire
Executive Director
Hassan Shire is the Executive Director of the DefendDefenders and Chairperson of the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network (PAHRDN). Under Shire's leadership, DefendDefenders provides emergency protection, advocacy, awareness raising, capacity building, and technological support to human rights defenders. Mr. Shire founded and co-directed the Dr. Ismail Jumale Human Rights Centre (1996-2001) and was the Chairperson of Peace and Human Rights Network (1998-2001) in Mogadishu, Somalia, before he was forced to flee Somalia by extremist groups. While in exile in Canada, he worked with the Centre for Refugee Studies at York University and Amnesty International Canada to create the African Human Rights Defenders Project.
Awards & Recognition
• U.S. State Department's 2011 Human Rights Defender Award
• Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network Leadership Award 2015
• Richard C. Holbrooke Leadership Award by Refugees International 2017
Programme Managers & Staff
Experienced professionals leading our key programmes across the region
Memory Bandera
Director of Programs and Administration
Memory is the Director of Programs and Administration. She is a US trained Zimbabwean in charge of programs and deals extensively with organisational management. Memory is an experienced International Development Expert who has contributed to the management of intricate programs in various African countries in different sectors over the past two decades. She currently manages a multi-million-dollar portfolio of over 20 active projects annually, funded by various international development partners.
Joseph Bikanda
Pan-African HRD Network Coordinator
Joseph is the coordinator of the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network since October 2011. Joseph has a Masters Degree in International law and worked as Protection assistant with Front Line International foundation of HRDs, Legal Officer at the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights; Assistant to the Chairperson of the African Commission; Acting Coordinator for the activities of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in Africa.
Estella Kansiime
Advocacy, Research and Communications Manager
Estella Kansiime joined DefendDefenders in 2012 and is currently the Advocacy, Research and Communications Manager. She overseas and coordinates the organisation's advocacy, research and communications related initiatives for both internal and external audiences. She is a human rights lawyer with over ten years' experience in strategic advocacy, research and communication at national, regional, and international level.
Alex Lukoye
Finance Manager
Alex joined DefendDefenders as Finance Officer in April 2010. He is a Certified Public Accountant CPA (U) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) degree from the University of Makerere. Alex is experienced in financial management and has considerable experience working in the development and human rights field in the Eastern Africa region having worked in Uganda and Sudan.
Tabitha Netuwa
Protection and Security Management Manager
Tabitha – a lawyer by training – is the Protection and Security Management Manager in the organization. Her tasks entail managing the protection programme which supports human rights defenders at risk to ensure that they receive the necessary support to overcome the challenges that they face. The programme also undertakes training HRDs in security management.
Nicolas Agostini
Representative to the United Nations, Senior Advocate and Researcher
Nicolas joined DefendDefenders as its Representative to the United Nations (UN) in March 2018. He set up DefendDefenders' office in Geneva and has been working to advance its advocacy efforts at the Human Rights Council and other UN bodies and mechanisms. His work encompasses UN advocacy and research on country situations and UN dynamics.
Samuel Eibu
Digital Security Auditor and Incident Handler
Samuel joined DefendDefenders in February 2020 as their Digital Security Auditor and Incident Handler. He performs digital vulnerability and risk assessments for human rights organisations in East and Horn of Africa and works to remediate security findings. He holds an MSc in IT Security from Nottingham Trent University in the U.K, BSc. Computer Science from MUST, and further cyber/digital forensic certifications.
Janvier Hakizimana
Senior Protection Associate
Janvier joined DefendDefenders in 2008 as volunteer and intern before being recruited as a Protection Associate in 2013 in charge with human rights defenders' protection outreach and training activities. He holds a Bachelor of Arts / Education in language teaching (English and French) from the University of Rwanda; a Masters Degree in Human Rights and Development from Kampala International University (Uganda). He is a PhD candidate and SHUREA fellow in Human Rights from Makerere University.
Board of Directors
Distinguished leaders providing strategic guidance and governance
Sophie Kyagulanyi
Sophie Kyagulanyi is a Ugandan national, and is currently working with Oxfam. She one of the founding members of DefendDefenders, and an active HRD. Previously, she was a Governance Research and Policy Analyst at Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE).
David Kaggwa
David Kaggwa is an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda, and a Partner at Kaggwa and Associates. Kaggwa brings legal skills including advising the Board on legal matters on registration and tax returns, volunteering his skills to defenders in exile and helping them obtain refugee status under the Ugandan legal system amongst others. David Kaggwa resides in Uganda, Kampala.
Dr. Zahara Nampewo
Dr. Zahara Nampewo LL.B. (Mak); LL.M. (Nottingham); Dip. L.P. (LDC) Kampala; SJD (Emory University). Dr. Nampewo is a legal and human rights practitioner and academician with 20 years experience in the private, public and non-profit sectors. Dr. Nampewo is a Lecturer and Director of the Human Rights and Peace Centre (HURIPEC) at the School of Law, Makerere University, in Kampala, Uganda. Her areas of interest and expertise include gender and human rights. She is Board Chairperson of the Uganda Lawyers for Human Rights (ULHR), a young NGO advocating for human rights of marginalized groups.
Faiza Jama Mohamed
Faiza Jamal Mohamed is a Djibouti national, and the Executive Director of the Pan African organization Equality Now. Since 2001, she has overseen the Fund for Grassroots Activism to End Female Genital Mutilation, among other matters, she has channeled over 1.8 Million US Dollars to 30 organisation in Africa. Mohamed has extensive work experience from the East and Horn of Africa sub-region, and has previously worked with the UN Population Fund and Oxfam NOVIB, amongst others, as well as being a member of the AU Women's Committee. Mohamed resides in Nairobi, Kenya.
Vital Nshimirimana
Vital Nshimirimana is a Burundian human rights lawyer. He joined the judiciary in 2004 and became an active member of the Union of Magistrates, going on to chair it in 2009. With his fellow magistrates, he focused on exposing the lack of judicial independence and the wide-ranging consequences this can have. He registered with the Burundi Bar association in June 2013. During his time as a lawyer he prosecuted high profile cases, including two cases at the East African Court of Justice. As chair of the Forum for the Strengthening of Civil Society (FORSC), made up of 146 national NGOs, he often engaged national decision makers on issues including human rights, good governance and democratic principles.
Hassan Shire
Hassan Shire is the Executive Director of DefendDefenders and has steered the organisation through its growth over the years. He is also the Chairperson of AfricanDefenders (Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network). Shire is a human rights defender from Somalia, with over 20 years' experience working in the region. Shire has received numerous awards from the international community including the U.S. State Department's 2011 Human Rights Defender Award, the Leadership Awards of the Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network in 2015, and the Richard C. Holbrooke Leadership Award by Refugees International in 2017.
Join Our Mission
We're always looking for talented and passionate individuals to join our team in defending human rights across the region