The Entebbe Chief Magistrate’s Court has found National Unity Platform (NUP) mobilizer and shoe hawker, Juma Musuuza, popularly known as Madubarah, guilty of six counts, including hate speech and insulting remarks against President Yoweri Museveni, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, and First Son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
The ruling was delivered on Wednesday by Senior Grade One Magistrate Edgar Tibayeita Tusiime, who said prosecution had provided sufficient evidence against the accused after nearly a year of court proceedings.
The Charges
Court heard that in October 2024, Musuuza, using his TikTok account Madubarah UG, published posts deemed offensive to top government leaders.
In one of the posts, he stated:
“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.”
Another post targeted Speaker Anita Among, accusing her of misusing taxpayers’ money to construct a mansion allegedly bigger than State House and of purchasing “bleaching chemicals.”
Prosecution Witnesses
The prosecution, led by state attorneys, relied on testimony from three witnesses, including Fred Tumusiime, a liaison officer between the Special Forces Command (SFC) and Police, who filed the complaint after reviewing the TikTok videos. Detective Corporal Richard Tong and Senior Superintendent Henry Kenneth Angura also testified against the accused.
Tumusiime told court that the statements were clearly meant to ridicule and demean the President, his son, and the Speaker.
Defence Plea
Musuuza’s defence team, led by lawyer Jonathan Elotu, did not present evidence but instead challenged the court’s jurisdiction. The objection was overruled, and court proceeded with conviction.
Before sentencing, Counsel Elotu appealed for leniency, stressing that his client is a first-time offender, a family breadwinner, and has already spent 10 months on remand.
When given an opportunity to speak, Musuuza told court that he had been beaten by security operatives during arrest, who allegedly attempted to force him to reveal his phone password.
Sentencing Pending
Magistrate Tibayeita said he would consider submissions from both prosecution and defence before delivering the final sentence on Friday, August 29, 2025.
Do you want me to draft this in a neutral newswire tone (straight reporting) or with a bit of political analysis/commentary highlighting the free speech implications?
