A Ugandan court has sentenced Edward Awebwa, a 24-year-old man, to six years in prison for posting a video on TikTok that insulted President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and their son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, head of the military.
Awebwa faced charges of hate speech and spreading “misleading and malicious” information, including claims of an impending tax increase under President Museveni.
Despite pleading guilty and asking for forgiveness, the presiding magistrate, Stella Maris Amabilis, noted Awebwa’s lack of apparent remorse and described the language used in the video as “really vulgar.”
“The accused deserves a punishment that will enable him to learn from his past actions and respect the president, the first lady, and the first son,” Magistrate Amabilis stated. Consequently, Awebwa received a six-year sentence for each of the four charges, to be served concurrently.
Rights groups frequently criticize Ugandan authorities for human rights violations and restrictions on freedom of expression. In 2022, Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was charged with “offensive communication” for criticizing the president and his son on Twitter.
He fled to Germany after a month in jail, during which he alleged torture. Activist and writer Stella Nyanzi, now in exile, was previously jailed for publishing a critical poem about President Museveni.
President Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, signed a law in 2022 targeting speech that rights groups argue suppresses online freedom of expression. The constitutional court later ruled that penalizing “offensive communication” was unconstitutional.
Human rights lawyer Michael Aboneka highlighted ongoing challenges to the broader law under which Awebwa was charged, calling it “vague.” He emphasized that public figures should expect criticism, adding, “Unless they are saying that they are going to arrest every Ugandan for criticizing them at every point.”
