TickToker Remanded to Luzira Prison Over Defamatory Remarks Against ESO chief

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 0926 EAT on Thursday 31 July 2025

A 32-year-old TikToker has been remanded to Luzira Prison on charges of allegedly publishing defamatory content against Ambassador Joseph Ocwet, the head of Uganda’s External Security Organisation (ESO).

The accused, Benson Muyingo, popularly known online as Benson Pro UG, appeared on Wednesday before Senior Principal Grade One Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko at the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court.

According to the prosecution, Muyingo, together with unidentified accomplices, allegedly used his TikTok platform in July 2025 to publish a video accusing Ambassador Joseph Ocwet, the Director General of the External Security Organisation (ESO), of involvement in land-related fraud in Kasenyi Bendegere.

The video, reportedly uploaded to the account “Benson Pro UG Official,” is said to have described the ESO chief as a participant in “land grabbing and fraudulent activities.”

Prosecutors argued that the content was deliberately intended to damage Ambassador Ocwet’s reputation, constituting an offence under Uganda’s Computer Misuse Act, which criminalizes the online dissemination of malicious, misleading, or defamatory information.

Muyingo denied the charges and informed the court that he had presented sureties in support of his bail application. However, the hearing was adjourned after Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko noted that the state attorney assigned to the case was unavailable, citing prior commitments at the City Hall Court.

Muyingo was remanded to Luzira Prison until August 12, 2025, when the court is expected to revisit his bail application.

A resident of Mutundwe, Rubaga Division, Muyingo identifies as Muganda and an Anglican. His TikTok account, Benson Pro UG Official, features frequent commentary on governance and public affairs and has garnered a sizable online audience.

The case reflects a broader trend in Uganda, where digital laws such as the Computer Misuse Act are increasingly applied to online critics and influencers. Advocates for digital rights have raised concerns about the law’s potential to stifle dissent and restrict freedom of expression in the digital space.

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