KAMPALA — A 24-year-old man has been sentenced for using hate speech and insulting Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and their son.
The verdict was handed down on Wednesday by Stellah-Maris Amabilisi, Chief Magistrate of the Entebbe Chief Magistrate Court.
The accused, known online as “Save Media Uganda,” was arrested for posting videos on TikTok that ridiculed the president and his family from February to March 2024.
The arrest follows intensified efforts by security agencies to track individuals using social media to target high-ranking government officials.
Awebwa is among several content creators who have been jailed under the Computer Misuse Act of 2022. This law, criticized by human rights activists as oppressive, aims to curb the dissemination of “malicious information” and “hate speech.”
The Computer Misuse Act of 2022 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.” Those found in violation can face a fine, up to one year in prison, or both.
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