Minister Balaam Reveals Why TikToker Ken Mukalakasa Was Released on Police Bond

State Minister Balaam Barugahara explains the release of TikToker Ken Mukalakasa (Nyanzi Kenneth Lukyamuzi) after police granted him bond. Investigations stalled because the alleged victim in the 2018 “against the order of nature” video went into hiding fearing his own charges.

Ugandan State Minister for Youths and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, has finally broken his silence on the controversial release of popular TikToker Ken Mukalakasa (real name Nyanzi Kenneth Lukyamuzi) from police custody.

Mukalakasa was arrested in late March 2026 at Kampala’s Central Police Station following a viral video that police described as involving acts “against the order of nature,” with the case reportedly dating back to 2018. Prior to his arrest, the content creator voluntarily appeared at the minister’s office, where he admitted to the allegations in the presence of officials before being handed over to the Criminal Investigations Directorate for further probe.

However, questions swirled after Mukalakasa was released on police bond and later posted a video joking that he had “returned from a forced holiday.”
In a detailed statement, Minister Barugahara clarified that the Ministry of Gender had fully played its part by facilitating the suspect’s handover to police. He revealed that investigations hit a major roadblock when the alleged victim in the video refused to come forward. According to the minister, the victim fearing he could face charges himself went into hiding with the help of his aunt, and all efforts to trace him have so far failed.

“The Ministry of Gender has fulfilled its role in this matter. We handed over the suspect Ken to the Central Police Station for proper case management and investigations,” Barugahara stated. “However, upon the victim realizing that he also had a case to answer, his aunt concealed him and efforts to locate him have been negative. A few days ago, the Police granted Ken a police bond.”

The minister stressed that once the suspect was transferred to investigators, the ministry no longer had any mandate over the case. He added that the matter now rests with the police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), in line with Articles 120–124 of the Constitution of Uganda.

The explanation comes after sharp criticism from media personality Frank Ntambi, who questioned the release and argued that the recorded confession at the minister’s office allegedly obtained under pressure could weaken any future prosecution in court.

Barugahara maintained that investigations remain active and that any decision on charges or prosecution lies solely with the police and the DPP. Police had earlier indicated that the case file would be forwarded to prosecutors once all statements are gathered and other individuals linked to the video are traced.