Kampala city lawyer Male Mabirizi Kiwanuka has been charged in court over allegations of publishing false information about Chief Justice Flavian Zeija and a justice of the Court of Appeal.
The charges were read in the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kampala after the Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew previous charges that had been brought under the now-nullified Computer Misuse Amendment Act.
According to the prosecution, Mabirizi faces two counts of publishing false news under Regulation 110E of the Uganda Communications Licensing Regulations 2019, as well as one count of broadcasting without a license under the Uganda Communications Act.
Court heard that in January 2026, Mabirizi allegedly circulated an audiovisual message through his TikTok account claiming that Chief Justice Zeija had received bribes from a woman described as a fraudster and land grabber, and that the Chief Justice had paid a bribe to secure his appointment as Principal Judge. Investigators said the message was circulated via a SIM card registered in Mabirizi’s name and telecommunication services provided by Airtel Uganda.
The second count relates to broadcasting without a license for using TikTok to disseminate content without authorization from the Uganda Communications Commission contrary to Sections 28.1 and 2 .
Upon his appearance, Mabirizi requested that the presiding magistrate of the Buganda Chief Magistrate’s Court Rita Neumbe recuse herself, citing personal bias and claiming that the judicial officer had already reached a “breaking point” in their interactions. This was after the court registrar read the charges against him. These related to content posted in January 2026 on Mabirizi’s TikTok account @male.mabirizi, including allegations against Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, accusing him of corruption, fraud, and misconduct.
Mabirizi’s lawyer, Anthony Asiimwe, Deputy President of the Uganda Law Society, criticized the prosecution, calling the charges persecution and highlighting the Constitutional Court ruling on March 17 that nullified the law under which Mabirizi was previously charged.
“As far as we are concerned, this is persecution. The same complainant, the same facts, have simply been twisted into new charges,” Asiimwe said, adding that Mabirizi remained in custody unnecessarily after the nullification of the Computer Misuse Amendment Act.
He also questioned the applicability of broadcasting regulations to social media content. “Mabirizi is not a broadcaster. If posting on TikTok counts as broadcasting without a license, then every Ugandan with a TikTok account could be arrested,” Asiimwe said.
The defence further called for the judicial officer in the case to recuse herself, citing concerns about impartiality, and demanded compensation for the time Mabirizi spent in detention following the nullification of the earlier law.
Court proceedings in the matter are expected to continue on April 15, 2026.