Tenge Tenge's Manager Micheal Kabonge Falls Out With Tenge's Father Over Money Issues
What began as funny facial expressions, energetic dances, and viral comedy skits has now spiraled into a painful family dispute over money, ownership, and the future of one of Uganda’s biggest child content creators. For years, Ugandans watched young internet sensation Saad Ssozi, popularly known as Tenge Tenge, rise from an ordinary child with humorous mannerisms into a global online phenomenon. His signature wide-eyed comedy, dance clips, and expressive reactions turned him into one of Uganda’s most recognizable digital exports, helping him amass over 4.26 million YouTube subscribers and more than 1.6 billion views worldwide.
But behind the laughter and viral fame, a dark reality has emerged as the family now reveals a bitter fallout with former manager Michael Kabonge, which has left them struggling financially and fighting to regain control of the empire built around the young star. Tenge Tenge, alongside his father, has publicly accused Kabonge of confiscating their digital platforms following sharp disagreements over revenue sharing and account ownership. Speaking out during a revealing YouTube interview, the family claimed the manager seized total control of their social media pages after misunderstandings escalated regarding transparency in the earnings generated through his viral channels.
According to Tenge Tenge’s father, the relationship completely broke down after they started questioning how the massive revenue from the highly successful YouTube platform was being handled. Despite Tenge Tenge’s astronomical popularity online, the family alleges they were receiving surprisingly small payouts, sometimes pocketing below $200, which they claim would still have to be split between both parties. For a child whose content consistently attracted billions of views across the globe, the family says the financial returns simply did not add up.
The father further alleged that Manager Michael Kabonge took over all the social media accounts under the claim that they belong to him personally, even going as far as attempting to change the channel names to completely erase the family's access. He revealed that about three years ago, as tensions first escalated and the family attempted to part ways with the manager over growing suspicions of dishonesty, they were handed Shs 27 million—a payment they now believe may have been a calculated move intended to quiet their frustrations. As the battle for Tenge Tenge's digital footprint intensifies, the case has ignited a wider conversation in the Ugandan entertainment industry about the protection, management, and fair compensation of underage digital creators.
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