The ruling, delivered by Judge Joyce Kavuma on Wednesday, June 24, also issued a permanent injunction restraining Saava from making any further defamatory statements against Ms Twinomugisha and directed him to issue a public apology on his TV10 Gano Mazima platform where the allegations were published.
The ruling adds to a growing list of legal troubles facing Saava, whose rise to prominence on social media was fuelled by sensational claims against public figures before a series of court cases and regulatory actions culminated in criminal convictions and now a substantial civil penalty.
Court records show that Ms Twinomugisha sued Saava after he used his TikTok platform, TV10 Gano Mazima, to accuse her of corruption, claiming she had improperly received Shs200 million linked to a road project and was unfit to hold public office.
The Deputy IGG denied the allegations, describing them as malicious, false and reckless.
The suit proceeded largely uncontested after Saava neither filed a defence nor entered appearance despite being served with court documents. The hearing consequently proceeded ex parte.
In her judgment, Judge Kavuma found that the statements were clearly defamatory because they portrayed Ms Twinomugisha as corrupt, fraudulent and unfit to serve as Deputy Inspector General of Government.
The court noted that the allegations were repeated on several occasions despite warnings from the complainant and that the publications were intended to injure her reputation.
The court further observed that the statements reached a substantial audience, noting that Saava's TV10 Gano Mazima TikTok page had a reach of more than 300,000 people, thereby amplifying the reputational damage caused.
In assessing damages, Judge Kavuma cited the distress, ridicule and reputational harm suffered by the Deputy IGG, as well as Saava's refusal to apologise or participate in the proceedings.
The court ultimately awarded Shs100 million in general damages but declined to grant exemplary damages sought by the plaintiff.
"Saava is hereby directed to issue a public apology on his TV10 Gano Mazima TikTok page/platform where the defamatory statements were published," the ruling added.
The TikTok page is no longer operational and while Saava might get away with that apology, the looming financial hit is inescapable.
The civil judgment comes shortly after Saava was convicted in a separate criminal case relating to the operation of an unlicensed online television station.
Earlier this year, a court fined Saava Shs4 million after finding him guilty of operating TV10 Gano Mazima without the mandatory authorisation from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).
According to court records, he operated the platform between November 2018 and September 2025 without obtaining the required broadcasting licence.
The court imposed a fine of Shs3 million for operating a broadcasting service without a licence, Shs500,000 for illegal broadcasting and another Shs500,000 for disobeying lawful orders issued by the regulator.
The criminal proceedings also resulted in the forfeiture of 45 pieces of broadcasting equipment to the Uganda Communications Commission.
During those proceedings, Saava pleaded guilty to multiple offences, including operating broadcasting apparatus without a licence, broadcasting without authorisation and disobeying lawful directives issued by the communications regulator.
The UCC has previously described the case as an example of how digital platforms can be misused to spread falsehoods and damage reputations.
In a statement following the criminal conviction, UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo said Saava's admission in court confirmed that the allegations he had disseminated were false.
The regulator said it had received multiple complaints accusing him of defamation and using online platforms to intimidate and blackmail public officials before enforcement action was taken against him.
The latest High Court ruling now leaves Saava facing both the financial consequences of the civil defamation suit and the lingering effects of his criminal convictions, marking a dramatic fall for a commentator who built a large online following through provocative and often controversial broadcasts.