Prominent academic and activist Dr Jimmy Spire Ssentongo has been ordered to pay Shs30 million after the High Court found him in contempt of court over social media posts concerning Kampala International University (KIU).
The court ordered Ssentongo to pay Shs10 million within 14 days, with a three-month civil prison sentence if he fails to comply. He was also directed to pay KIU Shs20 million in punitive damages, together with court costs.
The case goes back to 2025 when KIU sued Ssentongo following posts he shared on X in which he raised concerns about the university’s handling of tuition payments and student complaints.
Among the issues he highlighted were tuition fees allegedly paid by the children of his late brother. Ssentongo questioned why the money had reportedly not been refunded or transferred as expected.
In December 2025, the court issued an injunction restricting him from publishing information considered injurious to KIU. According to the latest ruling, some of his posts made after the injunction went against the court order, resulting in the contempt proceedings.
Ssentongo has defended his actions as being driven by concerns he believes are in the public interest. His supporters have also argued that the case raises wider questions about how far institutions can go in using the courts to respond to public criticism.
KIU, meanwhile, maintains that the posts contained allegations that were not supported by evidence and had the potential to damage the university’s reputation.
The ruling has therefore brought renewed attention to the delicate balance between freedom of expression, public criticism and the responsibility to comply with court orders.
