Uganda: No, Ugandan Blogger Barista Timo Not Wanted By Police in Connection With Murder - Ignore Fake Poster

29 May 2023
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Grace Gichuhi

IN SHORT: Ugandan police have dismissed as fake a "wanted" poster of blogger Barista Timo, following the death of a prominent video blogger in the country.

A graphic posted on Twitter on 10 May 2023 claims that Ugandan blogger Barista Timo is wanted in connection with the murder of prominent vlogger Ibrahim Tusubira, also known as Isma Olaxess.

The graphic shows a photo of Timo with the headline "WANTED PERSON".

The caption to the post reads: "The person in the picture is Barista Timo, a blogger who made slain Iculi wait for long enough till his killers found him. Barista on that very night left the country soon as he got the news of the shooting. Police have issued a warrant of arrest for him. He is in Dubai. #KJNews."

The graphic includes the logo of the Uganda Police Force.

Tusubira was shot and killed on 6 May 2023. He was attacked in his car by unidentified assailants near his home in Kyanja, a suburb of the capital Kampala.

Timo had previously claimed that he was to meet with Tusubira on the night of his death.

Ugandan media later reported that Timo had left the country for Dubai.

The poster has also been published here, here and here.

But did the Ugandan police issue it?

Ignore fake poster

The Ugandan police dismissed the poster as fake on its Twitter and Facebook accounts.

"Our attention has been drawn to a post circulating on social media allegedly of a wanted person by Uganda Police Force. This is to clarify that we have not sanctioned this information and should be treated with the contempt it deserves," the tweet read.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. Twitter @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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