TikTok star jailed for six years for insulting president in 'really vulgar' video

Ugandan man Edward Awebwa has been charged with hate speech and spreading "misleading and malicious" information against President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni and son Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is the head of the military.

The court also heard that Awebwa had shared abusive information and had said there would be an increase in taxes under President Museveni, who has been the president of Uganda since 1986

Awebwa had pleaded guilty to the charge against him and asked for forgiveness. The presiding magistrate decided, however, that while he had pleaded for mercy, he did not look remorseful for his actions. They added that words used in the video were "really vulgar".

"The accused deserves a punishment which will enable him learn from his past so that next time he will respect the person of the president, the first lady and the first son," magistrate Stella Maris Amabilis said.

He was sentenced to six years for each of the four charges against him, which are to run concurrently.

In 2022, the president signed into law a communications legislation to curb hate speech, but critics criticised it by claiming it was aimed at suppressing freedom of speech online. Last year, the constitutional court ruled that a section of the act that penalised "offensive communication" was unconstitutional.

Ugandan human rights lawyer Michael Aboneka said Awebwa, who was born 14 years after the president first came to power, had been charged under the same broader law that they are still challenging in court because “it is vague”.

He told the BBC Newsday programme that the president and his family should expect to be criticised “at whatever angle”. He added: “Unless they are saying that they are going to arrest every Ugandan for criticising them at every point.”

This is not the first time remarks made about 79-year-old President Museveni, who is the ninth president East African country, on social media have caused issues. In 2022, award-winning Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was charged with two counts of "offensive communication" after making unflattering remarks about the president and his son on X.

He fled the country to Germany after spending a month in jail, where he claimed he had been tortured. Activist and writer Stella Nyanzi is also in exile, having earlier been jailed for publishing a poem that was critical against Mr Museveni.