Man in viral video insulting Buganda, Kabaka sent to Luzira

A 25-year-old man, Geoffrey Mugisha, alias Kempaka, a Munyankole by tribe and a businessman residing in Munyonyo, Wakiso District, has been charged with hate speech and remanded to Luzira Prison.

Mugisha appeared before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court, where Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi read the charges against him.

The charges stemmed from a viral video where Mugisha made derogatory remarks about Buganda, Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, and his subjects.

In the video, Mugisha allegedly made statements deemed likely to ridicule, degrade, or demean the Baganda ethnic group. Some of the offensive remarks included claims that Baganda are failures, that none of them can lead, and that President Museveni is the real Kabaka.

When asked whether he understood the charges, Mugisha admitted to making the remarks but claimed he was reacting emotionally after being insulted in a comment on his earlier post.

"It is true I said those words, but it was not hate speech. I was responding to someone who commented that we Banyarwanda should go back to our motherland. I acted out of anger," Mugisha told the court.

Mugisha apologized to the court, the people of Buganda, the Kabaka, President Yoweri Museveni, and anyone offended by the video. However, the prosecution led by Mr Ivan Kyazze argued that Mugisha's explanation constituted a plea of not guilty, as he denied the intent to promote hate speech.

The court then asked whether Mugisha had sureties present in court, as the charge is bailable. However, the sureties lacked the necessary documentation as required by the Chief Justice's bail guidelines.

Mr Kayizzi ruled that Mugisha be remanded until May 19, instructing his sureties to return with the necessary documents, including original national identity cards, letters from their residential local councils, and the suspect's passport.

According to the prosecution, Mugisha willfully recorded and disseminated the video via his TikTok account @kampak2 from various locations in Kampala Central Division and Wakiso District. The prosecution asserts that the recording and circulation of the video constitute hate speech contrary to Section 26A(1)(a) and (2) of the Computer Misuse Act Cap 96.