KAMPALA, Uganda | A 21-year-old TikTok creator has been sentenced to prison for a video deemed insulting to President Yoweri Museveni.
Emmanuel Nabugodi, known for his comedic content shared with 20,000 followers, received a 32-month jail term after pleading guilty to charges including hate speech and spreading malicious information about the president.
The controversial video depicted a mock trial of Museveni, in which Nabugodi called for the president to be publicly flogged.
Rights organizations have long criticized Uganda for its restrictions on free speech, accusing the government, led by Museveni since 1986, of silencing dissent.
In July, another TikToker, Edward Awebwa, was sentenced to six years in prison for similar offenses.
Three additional individuals are awaiting trial over TikTok-related content.
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Chief Magistrate Stellah Maris Amabilis, presiding over Nabugodi’s case in Entebbe, stated that his lack of remorse influenced the sentencing. She expressed hope that the punishment would deter online attacks against individuals, including the president.
“This court hopes that by the time the convict leaves prison, he will have learned that abusing people for content is unacceptable,” Amabilis said, noting that Nabugodi has the right to appeal within 14 days.
Nabugodi’s conviction falls under a controversial 2022 amendment to the Computer Misuse Act. The law prohibits sharing content via computer that may “ridicule, degrade, or demean” individuals or groups based on attributes like ethnicity, religion, or gender.
Human rights advocates, including the U.S. State Department in its 2022 Uganda report, have argued that the law is used to stifle online criticism of government policies.
Criticism of freedom of expression in Uganda is not new. In 2022, author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija faced charges for “offensive communication” after posting critical comments about the president and his son on Twitter. He later fled to Germany, alleging torture during his month-long detention.
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