Muzungu-Boda “removed” from Uganda over working without permit 

Reid Samuel James, a New Zealand national and popular TikTok personality known as Muzungu-Boda was “removed” from Uganda due to working in the country without authorisation.

According to Simon Mundeyi, ministry Internal Affairs spokesperson, Muzungu-Boda was working in the country without a valid work permit, a clear violation of Uganda’s immigration laws. According to the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC), a tourist visa in Uganda doesn’t permit the holder to engage in work activities. 

Mundeyi said that Muzungu-Boda’s actions were classified as work, violating the terms of his tourist visa. 

“To work in any country, an individual must possess a valid work permit. It is not permissible to work on a tourist visa, which he was doing while running a charitable NGO. As standard practice, he was removed from the country,” Mundeyi said. 

However, Mundeyi emphasized that Muzungu-Boda was not deported, a distinction that allows him to return to Uganda if he obtains the necessary documents. Apart from working on his documentation, the ministry reportedly asked him to reorganize himself but also change the way of his work before applying for a return to Uganda. 

“We don’t know if he was in his right mind, he recorded videos doing bizarre things, such as drifting with children, some of whom hit their heads on the ground and cried while he laughed. In another video, he was seen running towards an elderly woman, grabbing her matooke, and kissing her. Such behavior cannot be tolerated,” Mundeyi said.

He added: “At the departure, he was yelling at whoever was putting on a Ugandan badge, he had also turned to be a self-appointed government spokesperson, talking about potholes here and there, talking uncoordinated things. So peacefully we sent him to his country and reorganize himself,” Mundeyi noted.

Muzungu-Boda rose to fame in Uganda and on social media, captivating audiences with his entertaining and relatable video content that showcased the country’s culture and way of life uniquely and humorously. Before leaving, he claimed that immigration officials had detained him, and he also admitted to using a tourist visa to enter the country but said he wasn’t earning any income, but rather helping vulnerable children.