COURT. A High Court judge has ordered journalist and social media commentator Dean Lubowa Saava, proprietor of TV10 Gano Mazima, to pay Shs100 million in damages to Deputy Inspector General of Government Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe for defaming her through allegations of corruption published on TikTok.
In her judgment delivered on June 24, 2026, Justice Joyce Kavuma held that Lubowa falsely accused Ms Twinomugisha of corruption and misconduct, statements the court ruled were defamatory and intended to injure her reputation.
“The plaintiff’s (Twinomugisha) evidence clearly shows that the statements published by the defendant (Lubowa) were defamatory in nature and intended at causing injury to the reputation of the plaintiff, the Deputy Inspector General of Government,” Justice Kavuma held.
The suit arose from a series of videos published on Lubowa’s TikTok platform, TV10 Gano Mazima, in July 2025. In the broadcasts, Lubowa alleged that Twinomugisha had received Shs200 million in bribes linked to the Kaabong road project and described her as a corrupt official unfit to hold public office.
According to court records, Lubowa claimed that the Deputy IGG had demanded money from engineers working on the project and sent an aide to collect the funds on her behalf. He also accused her of misappropriating money meant for wetlands and questioned her suitability to lead Uganda’s anti-corruption fight.
Twinomugisha denied all the allegations, telling court that she had never received any money from engineers, had never been involved in the alleged transactions, and had never even visited Kaabong District.
Her evidence was supported by Ombudsman Affairs Director Kakooza Savio Ntensibe, whom Lubowa had identified as her personal assistant. Ntensibe testified that he was not Twinomugisha’s aide, had never collected money on her behalf, and had no involvement in the matters raised by the journalist.
The court noted that Lubowa neither entered appearance nor filed a defence despite being duly served with court documents. The case therefore proceeded ex parte.
Justice Kavuma further observed that Lubowa had previously admitted in a criminal plea bargain that information he published about the Deputy IGG was false.
“The defendant in making these claims directly and indirectly insinuated without show of proof that the Deputy Inspector General of Government is part and parcel of the corruption she ought to eliminate,” the judge stated.
She added that Lubowa continued publishing the allegations despite warnings from Twinomugisha to stop, conduct the court described as malicious and reckless.
“The continued publishing of the said defamatory statements shows the desire and intent by the defendant to cause pain to the plaintiff,” Justice Kavuma ruled.
While Twinomugisha had sought Shs300 million in exemplary damages, the court declined the request, finding no evidence that Lubowa had profited from the publications.
However, the judge awarded Shs100 million in general damages, citing the seriousness of the allegations, the wide circulation of the content on a TikTok platform with more than 300,000 followers, and Lubowa’s failure to apologise or defend himself in court.
The court also issued a permanent injunction restraining Lubowa and his agents from making or publishing further defamatory statements about Twinomugisha. He was further ordered to publish a public apology on the same TikTok platform where the impugned statements appeared.
In addition to the damages, Lubowa was ordered to pay the costs of the suit and interest on the award until payment in full.