Prominent lawyer and outspoken social commentator Male Mabirizi Kiwanuka has been remanded to Luzira Prison following charges over alleged offensive social media content aimed at senior judicial officials.
Mabirizi appeared at Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, facing allegations under the Computer Misuse Act, including spreading malicious information and hate speech. The prosecution claims that in January, Mabirizi used his TikTok account to post videos mocking and insulting top judges, including Chief Justice Flavian Zeija and Court of Appeal Justice Musa Ssekaana. One video reportedly described the Chief Justice as a “conman, fraudster, and corrupt official,” statements the state says are false and intended to tarnish the judiciary’s reputation.
The lawyer denied all charges and questioned the court’s procedure for taking his plea. Chief Magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa rejected his request for bail, ordering that he remain in Luzira Prison until the case returns on February 18, 2026.
Outside the court, supporters rallied behind Mabirizi, calling the charges politically motivated and an attempt to silence criticism of state institutions. This is not Mabirizi’s first run-in with the judiciary; in 2022, he served a sentence for contempt of court linked to earlier online attacks on judges.
