A 21-year-old Ugandan TikToker, Emmanuel Nabugodi, has been sentenced to 32 months in prison after creating a video that allegedly insulted President Yoweri Museveni. Nabugodi, who is known for posting comedic content to his 20,000 followers, pleaded guilty to charges of hate speech and spreading malicious information about the president.
The video in question featured a mock trial of Museveni, where Nabugodi called for the president’s public flogging. This incident places him among a growing number of Ugandans jailed for criticizing the long-serving president, who has been in power since 1986. In a similar case in July, Edward Awebwa was sentenced to six years in prison for a TikTok post, and three others are currently facing trial over social media content.
Chief Magistrate Stellah Maris Amabilis, while delivering Nabugodi’s sentence, remarked that he showed no remorse for his actions, and stated that the prison term would serve as a deterrent against social media attacks, especially targeting public figures. She added that Nabugodi has the option to appeal within 14 days.
The charges against him were based on a 2022 amendment to Uganda’s Computer Misuse Act, which criminalizes content that ridicules or degrades individuals, groups, or public figures. Human rights groups and the U.S. State Department have criticized this law, alleging it is used to suppress free speech and intimidate critics of the government.
This latest case follows the 2022 imprisonment of Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, who fled to Germany after being tortured in custody for making critical comments about the president and his son on Twitter.
