A court has fined senior journalist Dean Lubowa Ssaava Shs4 million after finding him guilty of operating an unlicensed online television station in breach of Uganda’s communications laws.
Ssaava, the Chief of Strategy at TV10 Gano Mazima, was convicted for running an online broadcasting platform without authorisation from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), the statutory body mandated to regulate the country’s communications sector.
According to court proceedings, Ssaava operated the online TV platform between November 2018 and September 2025 without obtaining the mandatory broadcasting licence required by UCC.
The court imposed a total fine of Shs4 million, itemised as follows: Shs3 million for operating a broadcasting service without a valid licence, Shs500,000 for illegal broadcasting, and Shs500,000 for disobeying lawful orders issued by the regulator.
In default of payment, Ssaava faces a one-year prison sentence. The court further ruled that any time already spent on remand will be deducted from the custodial term should the default sentence take effect.
As part of the judgment, the court ordered the forfeiture of all broadcasting equipment used in the operation to UCC. The confiscated items include cameras, microphones, audio mixers, flash disks and computers.
The forfeiture underscores the enforcement powers granted to the communications regulator against individuals and entities operating outside Uganda’s legal framework governing broadcasting and digital media services.
Uganda’s communications laws require all broadcasting entities — including online television platforms — to secure appropriate licences before commencing operations.
The regulatory framework has increasingly been extended to digital broadcasters as online media platforms continue to grow in reach and influence.
The case highlights the regulator’s ongoing efforts to tighten compliance within Uganda’s rapidly expanding digital and online broadcasting sector.
In recent years, UCC has intensified monitoring of both traditional broadcasters and online-based media operators to ensure adherence to licensing, content and operational standards.
The ruling serves as a reminder to media practitioners, digital content creators and online broadcasters to comply with licensing requirements and regulatory directives to avoid legal, financial and operational consequences.
