Rising Western Youth MP aspirant Elizabeth Kakwanzi Katanywa is under fire as social media continues to buzz with claims that she deliberately leaked her own controversial tape to gain political traction.
The footage, now widely discredited as AI-generated, surfaced online days ago, sparking both outrage and conspiracy. Some online users claim Kakwanzi orchestrated the so-called leak as a shock tactic to shoot up her name recognition ahead of next year’s parliamentary race.
But her camp is not having it.
“What exactly do we do about people who, without any iota of evidence, keep claiming that the video is not fake?” asked a frustrated member of the Kakwanzi team, speaking anonymously to Campus Bee.
“The Kakwanzi I know cannot do that. If they think leaking videos is the path to popularity, let them try it themselves.”
Our Fact-Check Desk has flagged the video as fake and AI-generated, emphasizing that no verified evidence links Kakwanzi to its creation or distribution. Still, rumors persist—highlighting the growing danger of deepfakes in Uganda’s political space.
Kakwanzi’s critics argue the scandal has given her sudden visibility, but her team insists it’s all smoke and no fire.
“This is just a distraction,” the campaign source added. “Kakwanzi remains focused on her vision to represent youth in Parliament. She will not be derailed by lies or smear campaigns.”
An official campaign X (formerly Twitter) account also addressed the accusations directly:
“This goes to all who support Kakwanzi — everything you’re seeing is just AI. This won’t stop our mission. Kindly spread this as fake news.”
The confusion intensified after an earlier report quoted fashion model Doreen Kabareebe saying Kakwanzi “doesn’t need to campaign because the leaked video is enough.” The remark was widely misinterpreted as support for the self-leak theory—something Kabareebe has not confirmed.
As political mudslinging ramps up ahead of 2026, Kakwanzi’s case is quickly becoming a flashpoint in the debate over digital ethics, deepfakes, and the extremes of political ambition.
