A 21-year-old Ugandan TikToker, Emmanuel Nabugodi, has been sentenced to 32 months in prison for creating a satirical video deemed insulting to President Yoweri Museveni.
The video, which portrayed a mock trial of the president and called for his public flogging, led to charges of hate speech and spreading malicious information.
The 21-year-old content creator known for comedy skits on TikTok with 20,000 followers, pleaded guilty to four charges last week.
The court in Entebbe, presided over by Chief Magistrate Stellah Maris Amabilis, described the sentence as a deterrent against future social media attacks on individuals, particularly public figures like the president.
“This court hopes that by the time the convict leaves prison, he would have learnt that abusing people in the name of getting content is bad,” Amabilis stated during sentencing.
Nabugodi retains the right to appeal the verdict within 14 days.
The conviction was made under Uganda’s amended Computer Misuse Act of 2022, which criminalizes sharing information online that may “ridicule, degrade, or demean” individuals or groups.
Rights groups have raised alarm over the increasing use of Uganda’s legal system to stifle dissent and curtail freedom of expression.
Critics argue that President Museveni, in power since 1986, is using the law to suppress opposition and criticism.
In a similar case, TikToker Edward Awebwa was sentenced to six years in July for content critical of the president.
Three other TikTokers are currently awaiting trial for similar offenses, highlighting a growing crackdown on online content creators.
The US State Department’s human rights report on Uganda last year noted that the Computer Misuse Act has been weaponized to intimidate internet users who criticize government policies.
In 2022, award-winning author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija fled Uganda to Germany after being charged with “offensive communication” for his Twitter posts criticizing Museveni and his son. Rukirabashaija claimed he was tortured while in detention.
