A 21-year-old Ugandan TikToker, Emmanuel Nabugodi, has been sentenced to 32 months in prison for creating a video deemed insulting to President Yoweri Museveni.
Nabugodi pleaded guilty to four charges, including hate speech and spreading malicious information, during a court appearance last week.
Nabugodi, a comedian with 20,000 TikTok followers, produced a satirical video portraying a mock trial of the president. In the video, he called for Museveni to be publicly flogged.
Chief Magistrate Stellah Maris Amabilis, delivering the sentence on Monday, said the punishment aimed to deter others from using social media to attack individuals, including the president.
She 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." Nabugodi has the right to appeal within 14 days.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about freedom of expression in Uganda. Critics accuse President Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, of suppressing opposition and stifling criticism.
Nabugodi was convicted under the controversial 2022 amendment to Uganda’s Computer Misuse Act. This law criminalises sharing content that could "ridicule, degrade, or demean" individuals or groups based on various characteristics. Rights groups and international organisations have criticised the law for being used to silence opposition voices.
In its 2023 human rights report, the US State Department noted that Ugandan authorities frequently used the law to intimidate critics of the government.
Nabugodi is not the first TikToker to face harsh penalties. In July, Edward Awebwa was sentenced to six years in prison for a similar offence. Three other individuals are awaiting trial for TikTok-related content critical of the government.
The crackdown extends beyond social media influencers. In 2022, award-winning Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija faced charges of "offensive communication" for criticising the president and his son on Twitter. Rukirabashaija fled to Germany after alleging torture during his detention.
Rights groups regularly highlight violations of human rights and freedom of speech in Uganda. Amnesty International and other organisations have called for reforms to safeguard free expression and ensure laws are not misused to target critics.