Forensic experts summoned in case of journalist who claimed Janet Museveni was dead

What the report says

A magistrate’s court in Kampala has summoned the investigating officer and forensic experts in the case against journalist and human rights activist Arnold Anthony Mukose, who faces charges of broadcasting false news and sending false distress signals. The case centers on allegations that he and others, still at large, published claims on an online platform that Uganda’s First Lady, Janet Kataaha Museveni, had died earlier this year. The prosecution says the material was circulated between January and March 2026 and caused distress to the First Lady.

According to The Observer, Grade One Magistrate Joanita Muwanika issued the summons after the court admitted a search certificate into evidence from detective David Ilukut, who testified for the prosecution. Ilukut said investigators linked the alleged material to WhatsApp messages and video and audio recordings said to have been circulated using other people’s phones. He also described items recovered from Mukose during a search, including a national identity card, passport, modem, laptop and mobile phone, and said the items were handed to police for further scrutiny.

During cross-examination, defense lawyers challenged the completeness of the search documentation, including the lack of technical details for some electronic devices. The court said the summoned witnesses are expected to help clarify the evidence before the next hearing, now set for December 1, 2026. The report also notes that Mukose has previously been arrested, granted bail, and had the case dismissed and later reinstated. Separately, he was among petitioners who challenged parts of Uganda’s Computer Misuse Act, 2022, in the Constitutional Court.