A Ugandan TikToker has been sentenced to six years in prison on Wednesday for insulting President Yoweri Museveni and his family on social media.
Edward Awebwa, 24, pleaded guilty to charges of “hate speech” and “dissemination of misleading or malicious information.”
The prosecution stated that between February and March, Awebwa made “vulgar remarks” on TikTok about President Museveni, his son Muhoozi Kainerugaba (recently promoted to head of the army), and First Lady Janet Museveni.
Magistrate Stellah-Maris Amabilisi, reading the verdict at the Entebbe court, remarked that Awebwa showed no remorse despite begging for mercy. “This is a person who was aware of what he was doing,” she said, noting that the court had viewed the video and found the language vulgar.
She sentenced him to six years in prison, stating that he “deserves a punishment that will allow him to learn lessons (…) so that next time he respects the person of the President, the First Lady,” and Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Uganda, an East African country, has been ruled by Yoweri Museveni since 1986. NGOs have frequently criticised the government for human rights and freedom of expression violations.
Mediaguinee reported that in 2022, renowned Ugandan writer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija fled to Germany, claiming he was tortured in detention for insulting Museveni and Kainerugaba, whom he called a “baby despot.” Also, Activist and writer Stella Nyanzi, who fled to Germany in 2022, was imprisoned in 2019 after publishing a poem criticising President Museveni.
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