Two Ugandan citizens, David Ssengozi, known as Lucky Choice, and Isaiah Ssekagiri, were remanded to Kigo prison on charges of insulting President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and the president’s son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, through TikTok posts.
The 21-year-old Ssengozi and 28-year-old Ssekagiri, both accused of spreading hate speech and malicious information against the first family and supporters of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), appeared before Magistrate Stella Maris Amabilis on Monday, where they denied the charges.
Their case will be mentioned again on November 13, and they will remain in custody as police continue their investigation. The two men are jointly charged with 19-year-old Julius Tayebwa, who was previously detained on similar accusations.
Prosecutors allege that Ssengozi and Ssekagiri shared TikTok videos intended to “ridicule, degrade, demean, and promote hostility” against the first family and allies. In one of these videos, posted in April under the title My First Enemies, Lucky Choice used sexually explicit language to criticize the first family.
This incident comes amid increasing government crackdowns on public criticism. In July, a Ugandan man was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to similar offenses. The authorities, under growing scrutiny for restricting freedom of expression, are facing criticism from rights groups and foreign governments, including the United States, which highlighted Uganda’s limitations on internet freedom in a report last year.
In another high-profile case in 2022, author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija faced charges of “offensive communication” for critical remarks about the president and his son on Twitter. Rukirabashaija later fled Uganda, alleging he had been tortured during his time in detention.
