A Makerere University student is facing jail time after pleading guilty to creating and sharing a fake TikTok video that falsely portrayed Speaker of Parliament Anita Among criticizing President Museveni’s apology to Buganda.
Elson Tumwine, a student and content creator, admitted in the Entebbe Magistrate Court to posting the doctored audio clip in May. The video, which quickly went viral, alleged that Among condemned Museveni’s apology as selective and reminded Ugandans of atrocities committed in other regions.
In the video, Tumwine claimed:
“According to Anita Among, President Museveni apologised to the Baganda, behaving as if Buganda is the only part of the country he offended. Museveni burned a train full of human beings in Mukura, Teso region; a thousand people were killed and dumped in a swamp opposite Soroti University by Banyarwanda soldiers who came to help him.”
The Parliament of Uganda swiftly dismissed the clip as fake.
“We have been made aware of an audio clip circulating on social media, attributed to the Rt Hon. Speaker @AnitahAmong. The clip is fake and unfounded,” Parliament posted on X, calling it “malicious propaganda.”
Arrested During Internship
Tumwine was arrested in Hoima while on an internship and has remained in custody since. He appeared before the Entebbe Magistrate Court and asked for forgiveness. His sentencing is scheduled for August 4.
Prosecutors accuse him of using the platform to ridicule Speaker Among and fuel hostility toward President Museveni. He is being charged under Uganda’s Computer Misuse Act, a law often used against online content creators.
The case has reignited debate around freedom of expression, digital accountability, and the growing tension between Uganda’s youthful online community and the country’s political establishment.
Whether Tumwine will be treated as a misguided student or an example to others remains to be seen. But for now, the Makerere campus watches one of its own wait for sentencing — not over exams, but over a TikTok.
