KIGALI, Rwanda — Miss Rwanda 2016 Jolly Mutesi has threatened legal action against Ugandan musician Bebe Cool after he published screenshots of alleged conversations linking her to an online scam operation.
The dispute escalated on Wednesday after Bebe Cool, real name Moses Ssali, shared a series of WhatsApp screenshots on social media in which he alleged that Mutesi and an unnamed associate had been targeting individuals through messaging platforms and social media.
The singer claimed he had interacted with a person using Mutesi’s identity, who discussed investment opportunities, claimed access to influential international networks, and offered to help advance his son’s football career abroad.
In one of the messages shared, the account holder wrote: “Bebe also I saw your son is a footballer. I can play some magic in the summer.”
Other messages appeared to reference business partnerships in Uganda, meetings involving Saudi-linked contacts, and investment proposals spanning Uganda, Rwanda and the United Kingdom.
The chats also show the individual expressing interest in working with Bebe Cool due to his influence and connections.
However, the authenticity of the screenshots and the identity of the account user have not been independently verified. The contact was saved as “Jolly UK Arsenal Stadium.”
Hours after the posts circulated, Mutesi’s lawyers at Mbidde & Co. Advocates issued a formal notice accusing Bebe Cool of defamation and demanding an immediate retraction.
The lawyers described the allegations as “grossly defamatory, false per se, actuated by express malice, and published in reckless disregard of the truth.”
They further stated that Mutesi “has never at any material time engaged in any dealings, correspondence, or nexus whatsoever” with the singer and denied any connection to the UK-based phone number referenced in the posts.
According to the legal notice, the same number had previously been flagged in October 2024 as being used by impersonators conducting online fraud. Mutesi has also previously warned the public about fake accounts using her name and images.
The lawyers have demanded that Bebe Cool immediately stop publishing the allegations, issue a full and prominently published retraction, and release a written apology approved by Mutesi’s legal team.
He has been given 48 hours to comply, failing which the lawyers say they will initiate “immediate and uncompromising legal proceedings without further notice.”
They also warned that the allegations could expose the singer to liability under cyber harassment, electronic communications misuse, and defamation laws.
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The controversy began on Tuesday night when Bebe Cool tagged Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba while accusing Mutesi of being linked to a wider scam network targeting multiple victims.
Mutesi, however, has consistently denied the allegations, maintaining that she is a victim of identity theft and impersonation.
In an earlier response, she said: “First and foremost, I regret that you were scammed by an impersonator, but please next time use common sense and fact-check before making allegations on people’s names.”
