UCC orders Red Pepper to pull down Nkutu family estate story, apologise

What the report says

The Uganda Communications Commission has ordered Red Pepper Online Publications to remove a story about a dispute over the estate of the late Christine Namubiru Nkutu, publish an unconditional apology and improve its editorial verification process. The complaint was brought by Conrad Kirunda Nkutu, Sophie Nkuutu and Martin Kintu through MMAKS Advocates, who said the article contained defamatory and unverified claims and revealed private family matters without giving them a chance to respond.

According to The Observer, the regulator’s decision was issued on September 1, 2026 and signed by UCC executive director George William Nyombi Thembo. UCC found that the publication had not justified why the private information included in the article was necessary to serve the public interest, even though inheritance disputes can attract public attention. It also said the outlet had failed to seek comment from the people named in the story before publishing serious allegations.

Red Pepper denied wrongdoing and said it had relied on court and police records, family documents and other sources. UCC nevertheless directed the outlet to take down the article from its website and other platforms, retract the material, and issue an apology with similar prominence to the original story. It also ordered the publication to provide evidence within five days that it had safeguards for editorial review. The commission warned that noncompliance could lead to further sanctions, including licence-related action. The story noted that either side may appeal within 30 days, and that Red Pepper has since apologized.