KAMPALA, Uganda — A group of female students from Kampala High School have issued an apology after a viral social media video showing them participating in the “boyfriend challenge” triggered widespread criticism online.
The video, which circulated widely across platforms such as X, TikTok, and Instagram, shows the learners dressed in full school uniform responding to the prompt: “Once your boyfriend said…”
In the clip, the students take turns sharing suggestive and explicit remarks they claim to have received from their boyfriends, a segment that many viewers said was inappropriate and damaging to the school’s reputation.
The content quickly drew backlash from sections of the public, with many Ugandans calling for disciplinary action from school authorities and intervention from the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Critics argued that the video reflected declining discipline among learners, while others pointed to broader concerns about parenting and the influence of social media trends on adolescents.
Public figures also weighed in on the matter. Ugandan singer Irene Ntale reacted to the clip, saying: “That video demoralised me. May God have mercy on us.”
Another social media user commented, “We never knew how well our parents raised us until we met other people,” reflecting the polarised public response.
In their apology, the students reportedly acknowledged the backlash and expressed regret over the video, which they said had been misinterpreted and had caused harm to the school’s image.
As of now, neither school administrators nor the Ministry of Education have issued an official disciplinary statement, though public debate over student conduct and digital responsibility continues to grow.
