A Ugandan court sentenced a 24-year-old man to six years in prison for ”insulting” the president and the first family in a TikTok video.
Edward Awebwa, an influencer, was charged with hate speech and circulating “misleading and malicious” information about President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the military’s leader.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire, Awebwa circulated disparaging films of the president between February and March 2024.
The court also heard that Awebwa spread false information, claiming that taxes would rise under President Museveni. He had admitted fault and asked for pardon.
The presiding magistrate stated that, despite his plea for compassion, he did not appear contrite for his acts, and the language used in the video was “really vulgar”.
“The accused deserves a punishment which will enable him to learn from his past so that next time he will respect the person of the president, the first lady, and the first son,” Magistrate Stella Maris Amabilis said.
He was sentenced to six years for each of the four accusations against him, which will run concurrently.
This punishment is part of a larger operation by security services against those who use social media to criticise top government figures.
Awebwa is among several content providers imprisoned under the Computer Misuse Act of 2022 for disseminating “malicious information” and “hate speech.” Human rights activists have challenged this law in the Constitutional Court, claiming that it is restrictive.
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