Ugandan TikToker Has Been Jailed For Doing This Bad Act To President Museveni

A 21-year-old TikTok influencer from Uganda, Emmanuel Nabugodi, has been sentenced to 32 months in prison for posting a controversial video mocking President Yoweri Museveni. 

Nabugodi, who has around 20,000 followers on the platform, was found guilty of spreading hate speech and spreading false information about the president. 

He had posted a video where he held a mock trial for Museveni, calling for his public flogging.

The court case has drawn attention to Uganda’s tough laws on social media, with rights groups criticizing the government for using these laws to suppress free speech. 

Magistrate Stellah Maris Amabilis, who sentenced Nabugodi in Entebbe, said the ruling was meant to serve as a warning against using social media to insult individuals, especially high-profile figures like the president. 

She also noted that Nabugodi showed no remorse for his actions during the trial.

Nabugodi’s case is part of a larger trend of social media-related prosecutions in Uganda. 

In July, another Ugandan, Edward Awebwa, was sentenced to six years in prison for similar offenses related to a TikTok post. 

There are also three other people awaiting trial for sharing content on the platform that allegedly insulted government officials. 

These cases highlight the growing tension between the government and social media users, with the government tightening control over online platforms.

Nabugodi was convicted under Uganda's amended Computer Misuse Act, which was passed in 2022. 

The law makes it illegal to post content intended to mock or degrade individuals, groups, or entities.

 While the government says the law is meant to protect people from harmful online content, critics argue that it is often used to silence political opposition and stifle dissent. 

In fact, the US State Department’s 2023 human rights report noted that the law is often used to intimidate internet users who criticize the government.

This case comes in the wake of several other high-profile cases of government critics facing legal consequences for their social media posts. 

In 2022, prominent Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was forced to flee the country after being charged with “offensive communication” for criticizing Museveni and his son on social media. 

He was reportedly tortured during his month-long imprisonment.