A 21-year-old Ugandan TikToker, Emmanuel Nabugodi, has been sentenced to 32 months in prison after posting a video deemed offensive to President Yoweri Museveni. Nabugodi, who boasts a following of 20,000 for his comedy content, pleaded guilty to four charges, including hate speech and spreading malicious information about the president.
In the video that led to his conviction, Nabugodi staged a mock trial of Museveni, calling for his public flogging. Chief Magistrate Stellah Maris Amabilis of the Entebbe court handed down the sentence on Monday, citing his lack of remorse. She stated that the punishment was intended to deter social media attacks, especially targeting public figures like the president.
“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,” the magistrate said, adding that Nabugodi has 14 days to appeal the sentence.
The sentencing follows amendments to Uganda’s Computer Misuse Act in 2022, which criminalized online content that could ridicule, degrade, or demean individuals. Rights groups and critics have frequently denounced the law as a tool to suppress freedom of expression and intimidate government critics.
Nabugodi is not the first to face such consequences. In July, Edward Awebwa received a six-year prison sentence for similar TikTok-related charges, and three others are currently awaiting trial for social media content.
Human rights organizations have long criticized Uganda’s restrictions on free speech, highlighting a pattern of intolerance toward dissent under Museveni’s leadership, which began in 1986. The 2022 US State Department report on Uganda noted that authorities frequently use the Computer Misuse Act to silence critics.
Prominent figures have also been targeted. In 2022, award-winning author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija faced charges of “offensive communication” after criticizing Museveni and his son on Twitter. He later fled to Germany, alleging he had been tortured while in detention.
This latest case has reignited concerns over shrinking civic space and the suppression of dissent in Uganda.
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