A 32-year-old TikToker has been remanded to Luzira prison on charges of allegedly posting defamatory material targeting the head of Uganda’s External Security Organisation (ESO), Ambassador Joseph Ocwet.
The accused, Benson Muyingo, popularly known online as Benson Pro UG, appeared before senior principal grade one magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko at the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court on Wednesday.
According to the prosecution, Muyingo and unidentified accomplices used his TikTok platform in July 2025 to publish a video accusing Ocwet of being involved in land-related fraud in Kasenyi Bendegere.
The video, allegedly uploaded to the account, Benson Pro UG Official, reportedly referred to the ESO director general as a participant in “land grabbing and fraudulent activities.”
Prosecutors argued that the content was intended to damage Ocwet’s reputation, an offence under the Computer Misuse Act, which criminalizes the sharing of malicious, misleading, or defamatory content online.
Muyingo denied the charges and informed the court that he had presented sureties to support his bail application. However, the hearing was postponed after the magistrate noted that the state attorney handling the case was unavailable due to prior commitments at the City Hall Court.
As a result, Muyingo was remanded to Luzira prison until August 12, 2025, when the court is expected to reconsider his bail application. A resident of Mutundwe in Rubaga Division, Muyingo identifies as Muganda by tribe and Anglican by faith.
His TikTok channel, known for critical commentary on governance and social issues, has amassed a considerable following. The case underscores the growing tension between online free expression and digital regulation in Uganda, where the Computer Misuse Act continues to be invoked against social media influencers and activists accused of defamation or spreading false information.
So, while we have a growing global challenge of eroded values due to that 3 by 5 card called a phone, we also need to instill unbiased accountability.
For example, why has no one arraigned so-called “fat boys” bosses for their actions, threats, and directives against citizens and against the constitution & laws of Uganda? While these can brag about incarceration of individuals in their basements, torturing others, holding some without accountability for years, issuing orders to their dogs shoot & kill unarmed citizens, using citizen funds to dish out unwarranted high handed actions against the same citizens and all other threats ….. AND go unaccountable 🤔 … will therefore the arrest and charging of these small individuals like this TikToker bring in a change and disciplined alignment of proper behavior OR actually fuel further mischievous behavior?
Hitherto we know this young man is not the first one to be arraigned on similar charges. How come these youngsters are not relenting? Better yet, what will be of the younger generation who are growing up seeing these things and hearing all the talk? Do you see how we ourselves, by our broad day examples, are building the kind of Uganda that needs no external interference to drown itself into anarchy?
Eh ! bagundi, with this selective application of the laws of Uganda, who in his right mind will not reach a point of resisting “legal” arrest and “lawful” detention after seeing court comedy and police cowardice ?
WHO WILL ACCEPT TO BE ARRESTED?
You, police, are giving real criminals excuses to resist arrest.(Who will help you arrest these real criminals with your obvious disadvantages?)
Police, you are making your own work difficult for yourselves…
“I am drunk most of the time but HE WHO ALLEGES MUST PROVE…”
Hiccup