Ugandan youth jailed 6 years for insulting president online

ENTEBBE, Uganda 

A 24-year-old Ugandan man has been sentenced to six years in prison for using TikTok to spread hate speech and false information against President Yoweri Museveni and the entire first family.

Entebbe Chief Magistrate Court's Chief Magistrate, Stellah-Maris Amabilisi, delivered the sentence on Wednesday. Edward Awebwa, who ran the account "Save Media Uganda," was arrested for posting a video insulting the president; his wife and his son.

Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire stated that Awebwa shared videos mocking the president between February and March 2024.

This sentencing is part of a broader campaign by security agencies against people using social media to insult senior government officials.

Awebwa is one of several content creators jailed under the Computer Misuse Act of 2022 for spreading "malicious information" and "hate speech." Human rights activists have challenged this law in the Constitutional Court, calling it repressive.

The Computer Misuse Act defines offensive communication as the "willful and repeated use of electronic communication to disturb or attempt to disturb the peace, quiet, or right of privacy of any person with no purpose of legitimate communication." The offence can result in a fine, up to one year in prison, or both.

In the resembleling incident in the neighbouring Tanzania, a Rungwe district court in Mbeya region on, July 4, 2024 convicted one Shadrack Chaula aged 24 to serve two (2) years in prison or pay a fine of 5 million shillings for the crime of publishing false information online in accordance with section 16 of the online crime law 2015.

Chaula who is a painting artist, was earlier alleged by police of burning portrait of President Samia Hassan he drew, speaking "harsh words" about the hardships of life in Tanzania.

The country's activists and opposition mobilised and paid the fine that set Chaula free.