IN HOT SOUP: A day, Baker Mugaino was arrested
OPINION: ASIO SHARON
IN Uganda’s increasingly complex fight against corruption, a troubling tactic is taking root: embattled government officials are said to be turning to the dark side of public relations—using media manipulation, smear campaigns, and strategic spin to deflect accountability.
The case of Baker Mugaino, the recently interdicted Commissioner for Land Registration, illustrates how the media is being misused not as a tool for transparency, but as a weapon to obstruct justice and vilify those upholding the law.
Mugaino’s fall from grace began when the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Kamya Turwomwe, interdicted him over serious allegations of corruption and abuse of office.
These included the irregular cancellation and issuance of land titles, lifting of caveats against legal advice, and issuing freehold titles in contravention of court orders. Following extensive investigations, his office was raided on April 24, 2025, and he was formally interdicted the next day. On June 4, he was arrested, charged, and remanded to Luzira Prison, though he was released on bail a day later.
Yet, instead of focusing on building a legal defense or responding to the charges in court, Mugaino appears to have chosen a different path—one paved with media strategy rather than legal substance.
Mugaino is accused of orchestratrating a campaign to shift public opinion through targeted media messaging. Rather than refuting the corruption charges through evidence and due process, he has reportedly invested in reshaping the narrative—positioning himself as a victim of political persecution and turning his attention toward discrediting the IGG’s office.
The result? A barrage of articles from tabloid-style platforms and little-known digital outlets, many of them echoing the same theme: casting doubt on IGG Kamya’s motives.
These pieces are often short on facts, but rich in innuendo, conspiracy, and misdirection.This isn’t just poor journalism—it’s strategic disinformation. And it marks a growing trend in Uganda where media platforms are recruited to whitewash corruption and attack accountability institutions.
The implications are deeply concerning. When media is co-opted by suspects of corruption, it ceases to be a pillar of democracy and becomes a smokescreen for impunity. The deliberate attempt to muddy the waters, intimidate investigators, and erode public trust in institutions like the IGG’s office reveals a deeper crisis—not just of corruption, but of deliberate obstruction.
The barrage of attacks against IGG Kamya is not coincidental. It reflects a calculated effort to silence integrity. But Kamya, a seasoned politician and now Uganda’s chief anti-corruption crusader, has refused to flinch. Despite the noise, the distortion, and the personal insults, she remains unwavering in her mission.
Her courage under fire is a reminder that integrity still has defenders in a system where truth often comes under siege.Mugaino’s case should also force a national reckoning about the role of public relations. True PR should enhance transparency, clarify truth, and support institutions in communicating with the public. When it is hijacked to protect the corrupt and discredit watchdogs, it becomes a cancer to democracy.This saga is not simply about one official—it is about how corruption evolves.
It moves from backdoor deals to headline manipulation. From forged signatures to forged narratives.And yet, there is a counter-narrative—one of resilience. One of an IGG who refused to be bullied. One of citizens who see through the spin.
Because the real danger is not just corruption—it is when corruption becomes so comfortable that it no longer hides.In this fight, media must choose a side: the truth or the spin. Because justice, no matter how slow, begins to lose when headlines lie and criminals buy airtime instead of lawyers.
The Author, Sharon Asio is a law student. For views/comments, write to newseditor.info@gmail.com
