Lira man arrested over ‘abusing’ Museveni in viral video

The police in Lira have arrested a 39-year-old man accused of abusing President Yoweri Museveni in a video that has gone viral on social media platforms.

The suspect, Fred Okuja, a resident of Anai Oki Cell, Anai Ward in Lira City West Division, was picked up on Wednesday afternoon under the Computer Misuse Act. The video, widely circulated on TikTok and WhatsApp, allegedly contained hate speech directed at the President.

In the recording, delivered in both English and Leb Lango, Okuja accused Museveni of being “barbaric” for reportedly blocking Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) leader Jimmy James Michael Akena from contesting in the 2026 presidential elections. Okuja went further, warning of possible violence while drawing comparisons with the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

“You recruit soldiers from among the communities and should know that your guns cannot kill all of us. Gaddafi tried but could not kill everyone. If you want to cause war, we are not scared,” he said in the video.

He also accused the President of marginalising Northern Uganda while favouring his home area of Rwakitura, claiming that cattle had been distributed to every household there but not in the north.

North Kyoga Regional Police spokesperson, Jimmy Patrick Okema, confirmed the arrest, saying officers acted after reviewing the video. He noted that investigations are underway.

Okuja’s arrest adds to a growing list of cases brought under the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022, which criminalises offensive communication. The law defines it as the “wilful and repeated use of electronic communication to disturb or attempt to disturb the peace, quiet, or right of privacy of any person with no purpose of legitimate communication.” If convicted, Okuja faces a penalty of up to one year in prison, a fine, or both.