Kampala, Uganda, Date – Two Ugandan men have been detained on charges of insulting President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and the president’s son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, through TikTok videos.
David Ssengozi, also known as “Lucky Choice,” 21, and Isaiah Ssekagiri, 28, appeared before Magistrate Stella Maris Amabilis, who ordered their detention at Kigo Prison pending a hearing on November 13.
The defendants, along with a third individual, 19-year-old Julius Tayebwa, face charges of hate speech and the dissemination of “malicious information” targeted at the president’s family and musicians associated with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). Prosecutors argue that their social media posts aimed to “ridicule, degrade, demean, and promote hostility” toward the first family and NRM affiliates.
Both Ssengozi and Ssekagiri denied the charges. Their detention comes amid an intensified government crackdown on public criticism of high-ranking state officials, including members of the first family.
In September, a Ugandan police spokesperson publicly warned citizens against “abusing” the president on social media, describing it as a prosecutable offence. This followed a similar case in July when a 24-year-old Ugandan was sentenced to six years in prison for posting a TikTok video critical of the president and his family.
The recent detentions have sparked renewed concerns among international observers and rights organisations over Uganda’s approach to internet freedom and freedom of expression. Advocacy groups have criticised the government’s response to online criticism as overly restrictive, with the U.S. government recently issuing a report noting limits on internet freedom within Uganda.
This crackdown echoes past incidents, such as in 2022, when prominent Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija fled the country after being detained for Twitter posts about President Museveni and his son. Rukirabashaija later claimed he was tortured in custody, adding to the criticisms of Uganda’s handling of dissent and freedom of expression.
