Three students have been remanded in prison by the Buganda Road Court after being charged with impersonating Natasha Museveni Karugire, the daughter of Uganda’s President, on social media.
The suspects — Isabirye Arafat, Kakaire Zubairi, and Egesa Sharif, residents of Nampirika Village, Iganga Municipality — are also accused of extortion and misuse of digital platforms.
Prosecutors allege that between June 2025 and January 2026, the trio operated fake WhatsApp accounts under Natasha Museveni’s identity to solicit money from unsuspecting members of the public.
The students denied the charges when they appeared before Senior Principal Grade One Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko, who remanded them until March 2, 2026. Police said that several mobile phones and SIM cards linked to the alleged scheme were recovered during their arrest.
Officials noted that this case forms part of a broader crackdown on online impersonation and cyber-enabled financial crimes, particularly those targeting prominent public figures. Authorities emphasised that anyone found misusing social media to defraud citizens will face strict legal consequences.
This incident follows earlier arrests in similar impersonation schemes, highlighting the growing need for digital literacy and cybersecurity vigilance among the public.
