Ugandan journalist and political commentator Timothy Kalyegira has reappeared after several days of uncertainty surrounding his whereabouts. He was presented at Kira Magistrates Court on Monday to face charges under the Computer Misuse Act.
Kalyegira had not been seen since Friday, raising concerns among his family, neighbours, and colleagues after his phone was reportedly switched off and his location remained unknown over the weekend.
On Monday morning, reports confirmed that he had been taken to Kira Magistrates Court for arraignment. Human rights lawyer Tumusiime Kato, who was present at the court, stated that Kalyegira is facing computer misuse charges related to content allegedly posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“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 update, Kato noted that Kalyegira had arrived at the court and was expected to take a plea shortly.
The specific posts forming the basis of the charges had not been made public by the time of reporting.
In recent months, Kalyegira has published extensive commentary on political and security matters, including observations about Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and various high-profile military-related arrests.
By press time, neither the Uganda Police Force nor the Judiciary had issued an official statement regarding his arrest or the charges.
In March 2026, the Constitutional Court nullified several provisions of the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022, which had frequently been used to prosecute journalists, activists, and social media users for online expression.
The court ruled that Parliament had passed the amendments without meeting constitutional quorum requirements.
As a result, only the original 2011 Computer Misuse Act remains applicable for offences such as hacking, unauthorised access, electronic fraud, and other cyber-related crimes.
Kalyegira is well-known for his sharp political analysis and commentary on governance, security, and current affairs.
This is not his first brush with the law; in 2010 and 2011, he faced charges of sedition and criminal libel over articles published on his platform, including commentary related to the July 2010 Kampala bombings.
Those charges were later dismissed in 2015.
His current prosecution has drawn attention from digital rights advocates and media practitioners, with some expressing concern over the continued application of the Computer Misuse Act in matters involving online speech and freedom of expression.
