Ugandan TikToker Sentenced to 32 Months for Insulting President Museveni

Emmanuel Nabugodi, a 21-year-old Ugandan TikTok user, has been incarcerated following the creation of a video perceived as insulting President Yoweri Museveni. Nabugodi received a 32-month jail sentence on Monday, having entered a guilty plea last week to four charges, which encompassed hate speech and disseminating malicious information concerning the president. Nabugodi, who is recognized for producing comedy content for his 20,000 followers, created a video depicting a simulated trial of the head of state. Within this video, he advocated for President Museveni’s public flogging. Human rights organizations have consistently voiced concerns regarding limitations on freedom of speech within Uganda, asserting that President Museveni, who has held power since 1986, is intolerant of criticism. In July, Edward Awebwa received a six-year sentence for offenses similar to those of Nabugodi, stemming from a TikTok post. Additionally, three other individuals are currently awaiting trial in connection with content shared on the social media application. During the pronouncement of Nabugodi’s sentence, Stellah Maris Amabilis, the chief magistrate of the Entebbe court, stated that he exhibited no remorse. She further indicated that the sentence was intended to deter social media attacks targeting individuals, including the president. Chief Magistrate Amabilis remarked, “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.” She also informed him of his right to appeal the sentence within 14 days. His conviction was based on a contentious 2022 amendment to the Computer Misuse Act. This amendment criminalized the act of “write, send, or share any information through a computer, which is likely to ridicule, degrade, or demean another person, group of persons, a tribe, an ethnicity, a religion or gender”. Last year, the US State Department’s human rights report on Uganda noted that “authorities used this law to intimidate internet users from criticizing government policies”. Additionally, human rights organizations routinely condemn Ugandan authorities for infringements upon human rights and freedom of expression. In 2022, Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, an acclaimed Ugandan author, faced two charges of “offensive communication” following critical comments he made on Twitter concerning the president and his son. He subsequently departed Uganda for Germany after a month in jail, during which he reported being tortured.