The High Court in Kampala has ordered journalist and TikToker Dean Lubowa Saava to pay Shs100 million in damages to Deputy Inspector General of Government (IGG) Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe after finding that he defamed her through videos posted on his TikTok channel, TV10 Gano Mazima.
In a ruling delivered on 24 June 2026, Justice Joyce Kavuma concluded that Lubowa published false allegations that portrayed Muhairwe as corrupt and unfit to hold public office, thereby damaging her reputation and exposing her to public contempt.
The court further issued a permanent injunction barring Lubowa and anyone acting on his behalf from making or publishing any more defamatory statements about the Deputy IGG. He was also directed to publicly apologise to Muhairwe on the same TikTok platform where the allegations were shared.
The case stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Muhairwe after Lubowa repeatedly accused her of corruption and abuse of office on social media.
According to evidence presented in court, Lubowa alleged that Muhairwe received Shs200 million from engineers linked to a road construction project in Kaabong District and used her position to influence investigations. He also made other claims suggesting that she was involved in corrupt activities and was unsuitable to serve in Uganda’s anti-corruption watchdog.
Muhairwe strongly denied the accusations, telling the court that she had never received any money from the engineers, had no involvement in the alleged activities, and had never travelled to Kaabong District in connection with the claims.
The suit proceeded without Lubowa’s participation after he failed to file a defence despite being properly served with court documents.
Although the case was heard ex parte, Justice Kavuma noted that Muhairwe still had the burden of proving her claims. To support her case, she presented recordings of the TikTok videos and called Kakooza Savio Ntensibe, the Director of Ombudsman Affairs at the Inspectorate of Government, as a witness.
Ntensibe dismissed claims that he acted as Muhairwe’s personal assistant or collected money on her behalf, stating that he had never been involved in any such transaction.
After reviewing the evidence, the court found that the statements published by Lubowa were defamatory and would lead an ordinary person to believe that Muhairwe was corrupt and unworthy of serving as Deputy Inspector General of Government.
“The plain and ordinary meaning of the published words portrays the plaintiff as a corrupt and fraudulent person unfit to serve in the office of the Inspector General of Government,” Justice Kavuma ruled.
The judge also noted that Lubowa continued publishing the allegations even after being warned to stop, which the court viewed as evidence of malice and recklessness.
The court further considered submissions from Muhairwe’s legal team indicating that Lubowa had reportedly acknowledged in a separate criminal matter, through a plea bargain arrangement, that the statements he made about the Deputy IGG were false.
In determining compensation, the court considered the damage caused to Muhairwe’s reputation, the emotional distress and humiliation she suffered, and Lubowa’s failure to apologise or defend himself during the proceedings.
While Muhairwe had asked the court to award additional punitive damages of Shs300 million, Justice Kavuma declined the request, citing a lack of evidence that Lubowa financially benefited from the defamatory publications.
The court ultimately awarded Muhairwe Shs100 million in general damages, costs of the suit, and interest at court rates until the money is fully paid.
