David Ssengozi, a popular Ugandan TikToker known as Lucky Choice, has been arrested and remanded to Kigo Prison alongside two other youths on charges of cyber crimes and alleged hate speech targeting President Yoweri Museveni, his family, and National Resistance Movement (NRM) supporters.
Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigire confirmed the arrest, adding that Ssengozi appeared in court in Entebbe on Monday.
Ssengozi and his co-accused, Isaiah Ssekagiri and Julius Tayebwa, face allegations of spreading malicious information intended to demean and incite hostility against prominent figures associated with the NRM. Prosecutors allege that the content, shared on TikTok between September and October 2024 via Ssengozi’s account @LukyChoice70, specifically targeted President Museveni, First Lady Janet Kataha, and First Son Gen. Muhoozi Kainerguba.
The alleged offenses go beyond Museveni’s family, reportedly also involving disparaging remarks toward well-known NRM supporters in Uganda’s entertainment industry. Among those mentioned are Jennifer Namutebi Nakangubi, better known as Full Figure, popular artist Gereson Wabuyi (Gravity Omutujju), and musician Patrick Mulwana (Alien Skin).
Chief Magistrate Stella Maris Amabilis, who presided over the arraignment at the Entebbe court, remanded Ssengozi and Ssekagiri to Kigo Prison, joining Tayebwa, who was previously arrested on similar charges. The court scheduled November 13 as the date for the three defendants to reappear, where further evidence will be reviewed.
The arrests have sparked conversations across social media, with some supporting the legal action as a means to deter cyberbullying, while others question the boundaries of freedom of speech in the country.
As social media platforms like TikTok grow in influence, the case underscores the increased scrutiny of online content in Uganda, especially regarding statements about high-profile public figures.
