Online posts falsely announce Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s death
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on June 20, 2023 at 10:00
- 4 min read
- By Mary KULUNDU, AFP Kenya
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A TikTok video shared a screenshot of a tweet purportedly from State House Uganda claiming that East Africa’s longest-serving president had died.
“With deep sorrow and regret we announce the sudden demise of the number one citizen of the republic of Uganda H.E. Gen Yoweri Museveni (sic),” reads the screenshot.
The TikTok video was published on June 14, 2023 and has been viewed more than 120,000 times.
The same TikTok account re-shared the screenshot in a different video that also included a tweet by Tanzania Abroad TV purporting that Museveni had been rushed to intensive care.
The tweet was shared widely on WhatsApp groups in Kenya.
While some social media posts were pronouncing Museveni dead, others were questioning whether the rumours were true (see here).
A look at State House Uganda’s account, however, revealed no tweet about Museveni dying, suggesting that the screenshot was likely fabricated. Rumours of Museveni’s death turned out to be false.
Still alive
The speculation was spurred by news of Museveni testing positive for Covid-19 on June 7, 2023. In Kenya, his name was on top of the trending topics on Twitter for several days.
Amid rumours of declining health and even death, Museveni updated the world on his health and dismissed claims that he had been in intensive care.
“I also noticed some few individuals from, I think, Kenya, saying that I was in ICU etc. If I was in ICU, the government would inform the country. What is there to hide?” he wrote in a tweet dated June 13, 2023 (archived here).
He tested positive for Covid-19 again, according to another tweet a day later, and cancelled a trip to join other African leaders on a mission to mediate peace between Ukraine and Russia.
On June 15, 2023, he addressed the Ugandan parliament virtually during the presentation of the country’s budget (archived here).
He subsequently tweeted news that he had received a negative test for Covid-19 (archived here).
Fellow Ugandans, especially the Bazukulu.
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) June 18, 2023
Sorry about losing our People such as Justice Arach (it is now really arach) Amoko, Jack Muchunguzi (one of the 27 with whom I attacked Kabaamba), Nuwe-agaba who was working in our CBRN Department of State House and others. Condolences… pic.twitter.com/S7vK8ZZlhS
This is not the first time Museveni is rumoured to have died.
In 2021, local media reported that he directed security forces “to locate very quickly” and arrest people who had spread rumours of his purported death (archived here).
Conspiracy theory
Some posts claimed Americans were behind Museveni’s recent health woes in retribution for Uganda’s anti-gay law.
This conspiracy was shared in the form of a tweet fabricated to look like it was coming from Museveni’s account accusing Americans of poisoning him.
“I will stand with my country no matter what, we can’t allow homosexuality in Uganda if you kill me my people will continue the struggle,” reads the fabricated tweet.
However, the tweet does not belong to the Ugandan leader. It does not have the grey check mark that is visible on Museveni’s real account (archived here).
Secondly, the purported tweet dated June 11, 2023, does not appear on Museveni’s timeline. Lastly, the font does not match the one used by Twitter.
In May, US President Joe Biden called for the immediate repeal of Uganda’s anti-gay legislation. He slammed the measures as “a tragic violation of universal human rights” and threatened to cut aid to, and investment in, the country (archived here).
Since the adoption of the draconian law, the US updated its travel warning for Uganda, a move Kampala branded “blackmail”.
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