Kabaka Birthday Run poster claiming political message is manipulated

20 April 2026, 5:00 pm

By Byamukama Alozious

A TikTok video featuring a poster claiming that the 13th Kabaka Birthday Run is a “run to save Uganda”, including the phrase “#M7MustGo”, has been found to be manipulated.

The post attracted more than 15,300 likes, 321 replies, 988 reposts, and over 6,300 shares, generating public concern as reflected in the comments.

Verification

Using Google reverse image search, the image in question was traced to its origin. Among the results, a similar poster was found posted on the X account of Majestic Brands, although it contained different wording.

The original poster did not include any political statements. Investigations found that the version being circulated with political messaging had been digitally altered to insert political slogans.

The official poster shared on Majestic Brands’ account for the 13th Kabaka Birthday Run 2026 calls on participants to take part in a run aimed at saving the girl child and ending HIV/AIDS by 2030.

Our fact-check findings confirm that the widely circulated poster about the 13th Kabaka’s Birthday Run has been manipulated and contains false information.

While the official event, organised by the Buganda Kingdom in partnership with Majestic Brands, was scheduled for Sunday, 12 April 2026, under the theme “Men Against HIV/AIDS to Save the Girl Child”, the altered version falsely renames it “Run to Save Uganda”, changes the date, and introduces political slogans such as “#M7MUSTGO” and “Bring your flag”, which are not part of the original non-political event.

The manipulated poster also uses official logos without authorisation, creating a misleading impression of legitimacy. Overall, the alterations distort the purpose and credibility of the event.

We also spoke by telephone to Owek. Kazibwe Isreal Kitooke, who is in charge of communications at the Buganda Kingdom. He dismissed the claim, stating that the kingdom marked the Kabaka’s birthday with a run focused on fighting HIV/AIDS.

Here is our interview:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cS1mm0Lu1oPaZk9gVsfWu5JocEFe07nj/view?usp=drivesdk

Using the Info Verifier from the Debunk Initiative, it stated: “Regarding the Kabaka Run 2026 poster, none of the verified sources mentions it urging people to come with Uganda flags or use hashtags like #M7mustgo. The Kabaka Birthday Run 2026, as covered by various sources, focuses on themes such as fighting HIV/AIDS and protecting the girl child, with no reference to political hashtags or flag-related instructions. Source example: Since some information comes from unverified sources, it should be treated with caution.”

Verdict

The poster being shared, which portrays the 13th Kabaka Birthday Run 2026 as a “Run to Save Uganda” alongside the hashtag “#M7MustGo”, is a manipulated graphic. The original post shows that the event is a health-focused public activity scheduled for Sunday, 12 April 2026, at Lubiri, Mengo, under the theme of fighting HIV/AIDS and promoting public health, and is not connected to the claims made in the altered version.

There is no evidence that the event is a political protest or that it is linked to calls against the government or instructions for political mobilisation.

This fact-check was produced by MaMa FM with support from the Debunk Media Initiative and BBC Media Action.