KAMPALA — Ugandan journalist and political commentator Timothy Kalyegira is expected to appear before Kira Magistrates Court on Monday after days of uncertainty over his whereabouts, with his lawyer confirming that he is facing charges under the Computer Misuse Act.
Kalyegira had not been seen since Friday, prompting concern among family members, neighbours and colleagues after his phone reportedly went off and his whereabouts remained unknown throughout the weekend.
On Monday morning, however, reports emerged that he had been taken to Kira Magistrates Court for arraignment.
Human rights lawyer Tumusiime Kato, who was at the court, said Kalyegira was facing computer misuse charges linked to content allegedly published on X.
"Colleagues, @TimKalyegira is now at Kira Magistrates Court on charges related to Computer Misuse. We should all stand in solidarity with him," Kato posted on X.
In an earlier post, Kato said Kalyegira had arrived at the court and was expected to take plea "anytime soon."
The specific social media posts forming the basis of the charges had not been publicly disclosed by press time.
In recent months, Kalyegira has written extensively on political and security affairs, including commentary on Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and a series of high-profile military-related arrests.
By press time, neither the Uganda Police Force nor the Judiciary had issued an official statement on his arrest or the charges.
The Constitutional Court in March 2026 nullified key provisions of the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022 that had been widely used to prosecute journalists, activists and social media users for online speech.
The court found that Parliament passed the amendments without complying with constitutional quorum requirements, rendering those provisions void.
Only the original 2011 Computer Misuse Act remains in force for offences such as hacking, unauthorized access, electronic fraud and other cybercrime-related offences.
Kalyegira is widely known for his political analysis and commentary on governance, security and current affairs.
This is not his first encounter with the criminal justice system. In 2010 and 2011, he was charged with sedition and criminal libel over articles published on his platform, including commentary related to the July 2010 Kampala bombings. Those charges were dismissed in 2015.
His latest prosecution has already drawn attention from digital rights advocates and members of the media, with some raising concerns about the continued use of the Computer Misuse Act in cases involving online commentary and freedom of expression.
Nile Post will continue following proceedings at Kira Magistrates Court and provide updates as they become available.
