A former mayoral contender in Mbarara City has distanced himself from a controversial screenshot circulating on social media, which appears to show him insulting local residents.
Seith Murari, who recently vied for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag but lost to incumbent Mayor Robert Kakyebezi in the party primaries, told journalists in Mbarara on Monday that the message did not originate from him. He claims the image is part of a smear campaign orchestrated by impersonators using his likeness online.
“Because of my campaign posters, people now use my face as their profile pictures and post all sorts of things. How is the public supposed to know it’s not me?” Murari said.
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The disputed screenshot, which has been widely shared on social media platforms, allegedly shows a message in which Murari insults the people of Mbarara. However, he insists he had no involvement and identified another individual as the likely source.
“I’ve learned that the person who posted the message is someone going by the name MC Mosh,” he added.
Murari also accused some individuals of deliberately setting up fake accounts to damage his public image and mislead voters.
“Just because someone didn’t vote for me or disagrees with my views doesn’t give them the right to spread lies about me. We have laws on computer misuse, and we can seek legal redress,” he said.
Responding to criticism over his campaign strategy, Murari defended his use of bloggers and social media influencers, saying their role was to share information, not sway voters.
“I engaged online influencers to help communicate my campaign messages—not to persuade people to vote for me,” he said.
Murari also confirmed that he had petitioned the NRM over the outcome of the party primaries and would announce his next political move after the tribunal’s ruling.
“Once the tribunal makes its decision, I’ll make it clear whether I plan to run as an independent,” he said.
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