Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded businesswoman Susan Kushaba to prison on allegations of publishing false information targeting Ministers for Kampala Affairs via TikTok account.
Kushaba, 46, a resident of Namugongo, Butto Zone, in Kira Municipality, Mukono District on Thursday appeared before Chief Magistrate Ritah Neumbe Kidasa, where she took plea to charges of sending false distress signals contrary to Section 82 of the Uganda Communications Act.
The prosecution alleges that Kushaba, together with other individuals who are still at large, between January and October 2026, knowingly sent, transmitted or caused to be transmitted allegedly false messages through a TikTok account operating under the name @The Investigator UG.
According to the charge sheet, the publications allegedly targeted Kampala Metropolitan Affairs Minister Minsa Kabanda Nabbengo and the State Minister for Kampala Metropolitan Affairs Joseph Kabuye Kyofatogabye.
In the first count, the prosecution alleges that Kushaba and others still at large published a video claiming that Minister Kabanda was a fraudster and a land grabber.
The second count accuses Kushaba of publishing content claiming that Kyofatogabye was a fraudster who had embezzled money belonging to boda-boda riders and taxi operators in Kampala.
In the third count, the prosecution alleges that the accused caused the publication of a video claiming that Katumba Muzamir Milundi had grabbed land belonging to Kamwokya KCCA Primary School.
Kushaba was represented by lawyer Robert Bautu, while State Attorneys Allan Mucunguzi and Grace Amy appeared for the prosecution.
Before plea-taking commenced, Bautu asked court for permission to raise certain concerns in chambers. However, State Attorney Mucunguzi opposed the request, arguing that the accused was before court for plea taking and that the defence had not cited any legal provision justifying the delay.
After plea taking, Bautu applied for bail, presenting three sureties whom he described as substantial and capable of ensuring that the accused attends court whenever required.
The first surety, Ben Serugo was introduced as Kushaba’s brother-in-law, a resident of Butto Zone in Bweyogerere Division, Kira Municipality, and a businessman dealing in cattle at Uganda Meat Packers along Old Port Bell Road.
The second surety, Sam Bukenya, was presented as a businessman dealing in soap and candle-making chemicals at Ngabi Chemicals in Kisugu Market, Makindye Division. Defence counsel also told court that Bukenya had previously served as a chairperson for traders.
The third surety, Paddy Kawuma, is a long-time friend of the accused and a resident of Butto Zone in Bweyogerere.
Kushaba, who identified herself as a businesswoman operating S&K Supermarket at Corner House in Butto Zone, asked court to consider the sureties and grant her unconditional bail.
However, the prosecution told court that it was not ready to respond to the bail application and requested more time to verify the documents presented by the sureties and file affidavits in response.
State Attorney Mucunguzi argued that it would be inappropriate for the prosecution to make submissions from the bar without supporting evidence.
In response, Bautu criticised a growing practice by prosecutors of seeking adjournments on grounds that they need to verify sureties’ documents, including local council letters.
He argued that the prosecution had received the relevant documents through the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) the previous day and had been provided with telephone contacts to facilitate verification.
Bautu further submitted that the sureties were within the court’s jurisdiction and that their documents could easily be verified through telephone calls or inquiries with the relevant police posts.
He also told court that his client had cooperated with investigators, arguing that she had presented herself and appeared before police on November 2, 2026, after being summoned.
The lawyer urged the magistrate to consider granting Kushaba interim bail as the prosecution verifies the documents, rather than keeping her in custody on the basis that the State was not ready to respond to the application.
In her ruling, Chief Magistrate Kidasa acknowledged that an accused person’s right to apply for bail is constitutionally guaranteed and must be treated with the seriousness it deserves.
However, she observed that the prosecution was equally entitled to reasonable time to respond to a bail application and that court had to satisfy itself that the documents presented by the sureties were genuine and had been properly verified.
The magistrate said she was not persuaded that the prosecution had verified all the documents belonging to the three sureties, particularly given that they had only been uploaded to the court system the previous day.
She consequently granted the prosecution’s request for an adjournment to allow it to verify the documents and prepare its response.
The court has also rejected the defence’s request for interim bail, observing that such an arrangement was not provided for under the Magistrates Courts Rules.
While acknowledging that interim bail had previously been granted by the High Court in exceptional circumstances, including the case involving Dr Kizza Besigye, the magistrate said those circumstances involved exceptional considerations and a pending constitutional reference.
She has therefore declined to extend similar relief to Kushaba who previously expressed interest in Kampala Central Parliamentary Seat and accordingly remanded her to November 17, 2026, for further hearing of the bail application and state response.