Ugandan TikToker jailed for insulting president
A Ugandan court has sentenced a 24-year-old man to six years in prison for insulting the president and the first family through a video posted on TikTok.
Edward Awebwa was charged with hate speech and spreading “misleading and malicious” information against President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and their son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who heads the military.
The court also heard that Awebwa had shared abusive information, claiming there would be an increase in taxes under President Museveni’s administration.
He pleaded guilty and asked for forgiveness.
The presiding magistrate noted that despite Awebwa’s plea for mercy, he did not appear remorseful for his actions, and the language used in the video was “really vulgar.”
“The accused deserves a punishment that will teach him to respect the president, the first lady, and the first son,” said magistrate Stella Maris Amabilis.
Awebwa was sentenced to six years for each of the four charges against him, to be served concurrently.
Rights groups regularly criticize Ugandan authorities for violations of human rights and freedom of expression.
In 2022, award-winning Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was charged with two counts of “offensive communication” after making unflattering remarks about the president and his son on Twitter.
Activist and writer Stella Nyanzi, who is also in exile, had earlier been jailed after publishing a poem that was critical against Mr Museveni.
President Museveni has been in power since 1986 – 14 years before Awebwa was born.
In 2022 he signed into law a against speech which rights groups criticised, saying it was aimed at suppressing freedom of speech online.
Last year, the constitutional court ruled that a section of the act that penalised “offensive communication” was unconstitutional.
Ugandan human rights lawyer Michael Aboneka said Awebwa had been charged under the same broader law that they are still challenging in court because “it is vague”.
He told the BBC Newsday programme that the president and his family should expect to be criticised “at whatever angle”.
“Unless they are saying that they are going to arrest every Ugandan for criticising them at every point,” he said.
1 comment
Hate speech is not good and should be avoided,