TOP STORY: Entebbe Court Sentences NUP Mobilizer to 12 Months for Insulting President Museveni and Top Leaders
August 30, 2025 | Entebbe, Uganda
An Entebbe court, presided over by Senior Grade One Magistrate Edgar Tibayeita Tumusiime, sentenced National Unity Platform (NUP) mobilizer Juma Musuuza, also known as Madubarah, to a 12-month jail term on August 29, 2025, following his conviction on six counts including hate speech and defamatory remarks against President Yoweri Museveni, Speaker Anita Among, and Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Sentence Details
The court ruled that Musuuza will serve 12 months concurrently for each of the six counts. Given that he has already spent 10 months on remand, Magistrate Tibayeita exercised leniency and ordered that he serve the remaining two months at Kigo Prison.
Charges and Evidence
The prosecution presented evidence that in October 2024, while in Wakiso District, Musuuza used his TikTok account, Madubarah UG, to share content deemed insulting and degrading to the president and other top officials.
Some of the inflammatory posts included statements such as:
“If Museveni hands over power to his drunkard son, the country will be destroyed within two days. Let Ugandans pray for our country and ourselves.”
In another post targeting Speaker Anita Among, Musuuza alleged misuse of taxpayer money:
“Using taxpayers’ money to build a mansion better than State House and buying bleaching jelly (chemicals).”
Witness Testimonies
Key prosecution witnesses included Fred Tumusiime, a liaison officer between the Special Forces Command and Police, Detective Corporal Richard Tong, and SP Henry Kenneth Angura. Fred Tumusiime testified that upon seeing the TikTok videos, he believed they were intended to ridicule and demean the president and other leaders, which led to the opening of a case and subsequent arrest of Musuuza.
Defense and Court Proceedings
Musuuza’s defense lawyers chose not to present evidence, instead challenging the court’s jurisdiction and requesting dismissal of the case — a motion the court overruled.
Before sentencing, Musuuza told the court he was subjected to harsh treatment by security personnel during his arrest, claiming he was nearly assaulted to force him to reveal his phone password.
Magistrate’s Verdict
Magistrate Tibayeita affirmed that the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence after nearly a year of legal proceedings to convict Musuuza on all counts.
The sentence marks a firm stance by Ugandan courts on hate speech and defamation against the country’s top leaders, underscoring ongoing tensions between the ruling party and opposition activists.
