The video making rounds on social media, claiming to be footage from Luzira Murchison Bay prison,Uganda is misleading. The Factjaja team received the claim and conducted a thorough investigation of what appears to be inmates in a highly congested cell. Using verified fact-checking tools, we examined multiple sources and viral video descriptions. These consistently identify the footage or very similar scenes as being from New Bell Prison, Douala, Cameroon, where inmates often sleep on the floor. Notably, in the video, inmates can be heard singing in French, a detail that strongly suggests the video is not from Luzira Murchison Bay. confirming viral video descriptions linking to Cameroon.
Uganda has recently been under intense scrutiny for human rights abuses. A recent European Parliament report harshly criticized the Ugandan government for human rights violations, including the imprisonment of political prisoners, extrajudicial killings, and irregularities in the recent general elections.
In our investigation, we used digital forensic tools to extract key frames and run reverse image searches. Cross-referencing these frames with known footage from New Bell Prison, we confirmed that the architectural elements, overcrowding patterns, and courtyard layout match those of New Bell.
Additionally, we verified linguistic cues—French lyrics—and matched them with other known footage from Cameroon’s prison system.
These steps, along with multiple independent media reports, confirmed that the video is not from Luzira. watch a video here
This verification is crucial, as Uganda has been thrust into international scrutiny over human rights abuses. The European Parliament’s recent condemnation of the Ugandan government for political repression, killings, and electoral malpractice underscores the need for accurate reporting.
Misinformation can distort public discourse, so it is essential to rely on verified sources. We urge readers to critically assess viral content and seek evidence-backed reporting. This fact-check is based on multiple digital verification methods and cross-referenced sources.
This article is part of Factjaja’s ongoing efforts to investigate and verify content flagged as potential misinformation across social media platforms.
This fact-check was written by Factjaja fact-checker Muhumuza Adolph and edited by editor Ngabire Christine and editor Mugisha Hassan
