He has spent years making Uganda laugh, trend, and tune in — racking up views and followers that most creators only dream about. But behind the viral fame, a much darker story was quietly unfolding.
Rango Tenge Tenge, one of Uganda’s most beloved internet sensations, is now speaking out. And he’s not alone — his father is right beside him, and together they’re leveling serious allegations against the man who was supposed to be in their corner.
Their former manager, Michael Kabonge, allegedly took control of every single one of their social media accounts, withheld earnings from a thriving YouTube channel, and even attempted to rename the platforms after their professional relationship collapsed.
The family says they can barely afford school fees.
And the internet? It’s absolutely seething.
Let’s be clear about what’s being alleged here — because it’s a lot.
According to Tenge Tenge and his father, the fallout with Michael Kabonge didn’t end with a handshake and a goodbye. Instead, they claim the manager walked away with something that wasn’t his to take: full control of their digital platforms.
“Manager Michael Kabonge took over all the social media accounts, claiming they belong to him, and even tried to change the channel names,” Tenge Tenge’s father stated publicly.
Tried to change the channel names. On someone else’s brand. Built around someone else’s child.
But that’s not even the wildest part.
The family alleges that despite Tenge Tenge pulling serious numbers as one of Uganda’s top influencers, the payments they were receiving were shockingly low — sometimes less than $200. And even that measly amount? They’d still have to split it with Kabonge.
For context: YouTube channels at Tenge Tenge’s level of popularity generate significantly more than what the family claims they were ever shown.
The last time they say they received a meaningful payout was roughly three years ago — Shs27 million, handed over right after they fired Kabonge for suspected financial irregularities. His father now believes that payment was damage control.
“Years back, he gave us about Shs27 million from the YouTube earnings after we had fired him because we had started noticing irregularities.”
Since then? The family claims Kabonge has been telling them the channel is underperforming. They don’t buy it.
For those who don’t know Tenge Tenge — and honestly, where have you been? — Saad Ssozi is the young Ugandan content creator who became a household name through infectious, relatable videos that exploded across social media. His natural charisma turned him into one of the country’s most-followed digital personalities, attracting the kind of engagement that brands pay serious money to access.
Like many young creators, he worked with a manager to handle the business side of things — platform management, brand deals, revenue reporting. It’s a common arrangement, especially for families without a background in the digital economy.
Michael Kabonge stepped into that role. For a while, the partnership appeared functional. But the family says cracks began showing when the numbers stopped adding up — and by the time they decided to act, they allege the manager had already positioned himself as the gatekeeper to everything Tenge Tenge had built.
The moment this story went public, Uganda’s online community erupted.
Fans immediately noticed the painful irony at the center of it all: a young creator famous enough to move millions of people online, yet allegedly unable to cover his own school fees. That contradiction alone was enough to send the story flying across timelines.
Tenge Tenge’s own words hit hardest. “All the time I have spent trending, I honestly have nothing substantial to show for it.” That single line was screenshot and shared thousands of times — because it said everything without saying too much.
Within hours, his name was dominating local Twitter/X feeds, WhatsApp groups were on fire, and the comment sections across every platform turned into a full-on public trial.
The internet had thoughts. Loud ones.
Many fans expressed fury, with comments calling the situation “exploitation” and demanding that the accounts be returned immediately. Others pointed to a broader pattern they say is common in Uganda’s digital creator space — young talent being taken advantage of by managers who understand the business side far better than the talent or their families do.
Some fans began speculating about the exact earnings the channel may have generated over the years, doing rough calculations based on view counts and posting the estimates publicly — numbers that made the alleged payouts look even more insulting by comparison.
It’s unclear whether Michael Kabonge has publicly responded to the allegations. What is clear is that the family has confirmed they are now pursuing legal advice to reclaim ownership of the accounts and establish what’s rightfully theirs.
Strip away the drama and the viral moments, and what you’re left with is a family trying to protect their child’s future.
Tenge Tenge’s father isn’t speaking out for clout. He’s speaking out because his son — a young man who has given Uganda years of joy, laughter, and content — is watching his success benefit someone else. The mention of school fees isn’t a throwaway detail. It’s the human cost of what’s being alleged: a child’s talent monetized, and a family left with almost nothing.
That’s the part of this story that doesn’t get old, no matter how many times you read it.
Here’s the detail that brings the whole thing into sharp focus: the family believes the Shs27 million paid out three years ago — the payment that was supposed to be a settlement — was actually a calculated move to keep them quiet and compliant. If that’s true, it means the alleged scheme didn’t start with a hack or a takeover. It started with trust.
And someone allegedly spent years cashing in on it.
Rango Tenge Tenge made Uganda smile for years — it’s only fair that Uganda shows up for him now. But the bigger question remains: where exactly did all that money go?
Sound off in the comments — because this story deserves answers.